TRANSPORT

Catering

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on refreshments since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The following table shows the decreasing spend on refreshments by the Department for Transport and its agencies, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Highways Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Vehicle Certification Agency, Driving Standards Agency, Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, Government Car and Despatch Agency.
	
		
			 Department for Transport and agencies 
			   £ 
			 2010-11 11 months from May 259,047.19 
			 2011-12 12 months 114,119.84 
			 2012-13 6 months to September 42,052.81 
			 Total  415,219.84 
		
	
	By comparison, in financial year 2009-10, the Department and its agencies spent £525,762.84.

Dementia

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to support the Prime Minister’s dementia challenge and the work of each of the challenge groups; what resources he has committed; what timescales he has set for this work; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport will be publishing an Accessibility Action Plan in due course which will identify our priorities for improving access to the transport network. We will be working with transport operators to ensure that invisible disabilities are included in awareness training for staff. Among current initiatives, the Department provides grant funding to 12 mobility centres in England, to help them assess people’s driving capabilities including cognitive skills. People with dementia may be eligible for concessionary bus travel if they are precluded from acquiring a driving licence on grounds of medical fitness.

Manufacturing Industries: Motor Vehicles

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many grants his Department has paid out for the (a) Chevrolet Volt, (b) Citroen CZero, (c) Mia, (d) Mitsubishi i-MiEV, (e) Nissan Leaf, (f) Peugeot iOn, (g) Renault Fluence ZE, (h) Smart fortwo electric drive, (i) Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, (j) Vauxhall Amera and (k)  any other qualifying car since January 2011.

Norman Baker: The number of claims made for the Plug-in Car Grant, and validated for payment in the period January 2011 - October 2012 is broken down by vehicle type in the table below:
	
		
			 Manufacturer Car No. of Claims validated for payment to end October 2012 
			 Mitsubishi i-Miev 179 
			 Mercedes-Benz SMART fortwo 74 
			 Renault Fluence 22 
			 Nissan Leaf 1,044 
			 Toyota Plug-in Prius 279 
			 Vauxhall Ampera 323 
			 Peugeot iOn 152 
			 Citroen C-Zero 51 
			 Chevrolet Volt 55 
		
	
	The UK Launch date for (c) the Mia has still not yet been confirmed, consequently there are currently zero claims for that vehicle.

Railways: Capital Allowances

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the possibility of including the rail industry in the Enhanced Capital Allowances scheme;
	(2)  if he will estimate the potential savings that would be accrued by the rail industry if that industry were to be included in the Enhanced Capital Allowances scheme.

Norman Baker: The Secretary of State for Transport regularly discusses a range of policy issues with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
	The potential savings that would be accrued by the rail industry if it were to be included in the Enhanced Capital Allowances scheme are difficult to quantify, and would depend on the amount of eligible capital expenditure incurred by the rail industry, and the rate of corporation tax. The savings may be offset by tax reliefs already available under other regimes.
	I have, however, drawn this matter to the attention of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Stagecoach Group and Go Ahead Group

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 September 2012, Official Report, column 564W, on Stagecoach Group and Go Ahead Group, if he will place in the Library minutes of the meetings held by his Department from January 2012 to date.

Norman Baker: As the minutes of any meetings with Stagecoach Group and Go Ahead Group contain matters of a commercially sensitive nature, it would not be appropriate to place copies in the Library.

Streatham Common Station

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what reports he has received on (a) the engineering works being carried out at Streatham Common station and (b) any effects on the surrounding area; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions his Department has had with Network Rail on (a) the engineering works being carried out at Streatham Common station and (b) any effects on surrounding area;
	(3)  if he will (a) request and (b) publish a full update from Network Rail on the engineering works being carried out at Streatham Common station to address the (i) effect on local businesses, (ii) work undertaken by Network Rail to mitigate the effect on traffic flow of the works and (iii) communications Network Rail undertook (A) prior to the start of the work and (B) since its commencement.

Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), has received no reports from Network Rail on the current engineering works at Streatham Common station. Network Rail is a private sector company limited by guarantee, and the scope and impact of its engineering works are operational matters for the company, in which Ministers have no power to intervene.
	Network Rail carries out its responsibilities under the industry's national possessions planning regime which is overseen by the independent Office of Rail Regulation.
	However the Secretary of State takes an interest in this issue, and Ministers and officials meet regularly with Network Rail to discuss a range of issues including its engineering works strategy.
	As part of our general efforts to improve efficiency on the railways, we are encouraging Network Rail to work closely with train operators and other relevant stakeholders on planning possessions and completing them on time.

Tolls: Motorcycles

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many toll bridges do not charge motorcycles.

Stephen Hammond: In England, the following toll bridges do not levy a charge for motorcycles using them: the Dartford Crossing, Humber Bridge, Severn Crossings, Tamar Bridge and the Tyne Tunnels.
	The Department does not hold such data for tolled bridges and crossings in Wales. All toll charges on bridges in Scotland were abolished by the Scottish Parliament on 11 February 2008, under the Abolition of Bridge Tolls (Scotland) Act 2008.

Universal Credit

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is not responsible for any passported benefits which will be affected by the move to universal credit. However, the move towards the personal independent payment (PIP), which will replace disability living allowance, may have an effect on the award of blue badges and concessionary fares, though we are seeking to keep this to a minimum.

WALES

Employment Agencies

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in his Department.

Stephen Crabb: Staff in the Wales Office are generally supplied from other Government Departments. It is not our policy to use offshore employment companies for their supply.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Attorney-General how many employees of the Law Officers' Departments are paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Dominic Grieve: The information requested as of 31 October is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  £80,000 to £100,000 £100,000 plus 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 37 27 
			 Serious Fraud Office 8 4 
			 HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate 1 (1)1 
			 Attorney-General's Office 1 1 
			 Treasury Solicitor's Department 21 5 
			 (1 )The individual paid in excess of £100,000 is a public appointment and not a civil servant.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

David Winnick: To ask the Leader of the House if he plans to hold discussions with his counterpart in the House of Lords on the report entitled Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster: Pre-feasibility study and preliminary strategic business case, published in October 2012.

Andrew Lansley: I have regular discussions with my counterpart in the House of Lords on a range of issues. The responsibility for consideration of the report entitled Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster: Pre-feasibility study and preliminary strategic business case, predominantly lies with the relevant bodies of the two Houses.

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

David Winnick: To ask the Leader of the House if he will make it his policy that the Government should respond to the report entitled Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster: Pre-feasibility study and preliminary strategic business case, published in October 2012.

Andrew Lansley: No. The Government do not intend to respond directly to the report entitled Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster: Pre-feasibility study and preliminary business case.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Palace of Westminster: Repairs and Maintenance

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the total expenditure on essential maintenance of the Palace of Westminster was in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; what the Commons contribution was in each such year; and what estimate he has made of the likely percentage increase for the following two financial years.

John Thurso: Table 1 shows the total maintenance cost for the Palace of Westminster for 2009-10 to 2011-12, and Table 2 shows the Commons share. Maintenance can be defined in various ways: these figures are an updated version of those produced for the recently published study report on Restoration and Renewal of the Palace of Westminster. They include:
	in-house staff costs and contract costs for planned maintenance and repair tasks;
	the cost of minor projects as well as capital works;
	relevant overheads; and
	an allocation of estate-wide costs for lifts maintenance, asbestos management, water safety, pressure vessel testing and the upkeep of systems like fire safety equipment and security access control which are not allocated to a specific building.
	The expected spend on routine maintenance of the Palace of Westminster in 2012-13 is broadly in line with that of 2011-12. However, the expected capital spend is likely to increase significantly (by about 50%) on previous years. This would suggest a total of some £33 million in 2012-13 (Commons share £20 million) but the final figures will be dependent on the progress of work. This increase in the capital spend is mainly due to pressing requirements for a number of key works, including the Medium Term Mechanical & Electrical Programme, fire safety improvements, Westminster Hall stone conservation, encaustic tile conservation, the Cast Iron Roof programme and security improvements to the perimeter, all of which commence on site this year. The Commons share of this expenditure will be 60%.
	The work being undertaken under these projects, including the current M&E programme (designed to replace plant at highest risk of failure in the medium term), is necessary to ensure the continued safe occupation of the building and meet our conservation responsibilities. Every effort is being made to minimise the risk that this expenditure could turn out to be nugatory in the light of the long-term requirement for renewing Palace infrastructure.
	
		
			 Table 1: Total maintenance costs 
			 £000 
			 Description 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Routine maintenance(1) 17,751.7 15,325.5 13,841.4 
			 Capital projects 11,528.0 11,457.6 12,996.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Total maintenance(2) 29,279.7 26,873.1 26,837.5 
			 (1) Routine maintenance cost: Direct staff costs of those involved in maintenance (excludes Director's Office, programme and planning, fire, safety and environment, project delivery); planned preventative and reactive maintenance costs; minor projects funded from resource rather than capital budgets; relevant overheads, and an allocation of estate-wide costs in these activities. (2) Total maintenance cost: Routine maintenance cost plus capital projects (excluding staff), and an allocation of estate-wide costs for projects (excluding staff). 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Commons share 
			 £000 
			 Description 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Routine maintenance 10,651.0 9,195.3 8,304.8 
			 Capital projects 6,916.8 6,928.6 7,797.7 
			 Total maintenance 17,567.8 16,123.9 16,102.5

Select Committees

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make it his policy that select committee staff should be given online access to The Times, Sunday Times and the Financial Times; for what reasons this is not currently the case; and if he will make a statement.

John Thurso: The Library maintained a corporate online subscription to the Financial Times for many years, on behalf of Members and staff of both Houses. However, the price of this subscription rose significantly above the rate of inflation: between 2005 and 2011 the cost of the service to the Library increased by over 250%. A further increase of 85% was proposed for 2012. The cost of the service was assessed to be no longer affordable within the Library's agreed budget without substantial cuts to other hardcopy and online resources provided by the Library for use by Members.
	Access to The Times and Sunday Times was previously provided through an online news aggregation service. The Library's contract for this service came to an end in 2012 and the service was retendered in line with public sector procurement guidelines. The new service does not include content from News International titles as this content is currently exclusively licensed to a competing service provider. The quoted price of procuring an online subscription to News International titles for the parliamentary intranet was significantly more than the cost of access to all other titles and news content combined through the news aggregation service and, as a result, was unaffordable within the Library's budget.
	The Library has a small number of single user accounts for individual members of its staff to The Times, Sunday Times and the Financial Times to carry out searches on behalf of Members. Single user accounts have also been procured for a very limited number of Committee Office staff working for the Treasury and Foreign Affairs Committees and in the media team. The Library and Committee Office will work together to resolve any issues affecting the hon. Gentleman's Committee.
	The decisions to withdraw access to these publications was endorsed by the Administration Committee. The Library will continue to discuss arrangements with these suppliers in the hope that online access to this content can be provided again in the future at an affordable cost to the House.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of repatriating equipment from Afghanistan to the UK in the current and each of the next four years.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 12 November 2012
	The Ministry of Defence is currently determining what equipment we will repatriate from Afghanistan, how we will achieve this and what the likely cost will be.

Afghanistan

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel who have been seriously injured in Afghanistan have been returned to and been treated in Selly Oak Hospital.

Mark Francois: The number of very seriously injured and seriously injured service personnel aeromedically evacuated from operations in Afghanistan and treated at Selly Oak Hospital up to June 2010 and/or at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham at some point in their care pathway is 509. This covers a reporting period from 8 October 2007, the earliest date for which data are available, to 30 September 2012.
	Selly Oak Hospital has now closed, and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and the military ward in the hospital have relocated to the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Armed Forces: Children

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on school fees grants for serving soldiers.

Mark Francois: School fees for the children of serving soldiers are covered within the continuity of education allowance (CEA) package which forms an important element of our support to our service personnel and their families, providing a stable education environment for their children.
	Our records indicate that there have been four representations on CEA since 1 January 2012. One of these was in regard to CEA policy and the other three concerned entitlement.

Armed Forces: Foreign Nationals

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many foreign and commonwealth armed forces personnel there were in the UK armed forces, by country and service, in each year since 2000; and what proportion that figure represented of the total armed forces strength of each country in each year.

Mark Francois: Consolidated figures for all three services are only available from 2007 onwards. The following table sets out the position as at 1 April each year.
	
		
			 Services (1) 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Naval       
			 Non-UK 1,310 1,010 990 990 900 800 
			 Australian 20 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Canadian 20 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Citizen of Fiji 80 100 120 130 140 140 
			 Dominican — 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Gambian 10 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Ghanaian — 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Grenadian — — 10 10 10 10 
			 Indian 10 10 10 10 10 — 
			 Irish 60 60 60 60 70 60 
			 Jamaican 30 30 30 30 30 30 
			 Kenyan 10 10 20 20 20 20 
			 Malawian — 10 10 10 10 10 
			 New Zealander 10 10 10 10 20 10 
			 Nigerian — 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Saudi Arabian 10 — — — — — 
			 South African 70 80 80 90 110 100 
			 St Lucian — 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Trinidad and Tobago citizen 20 30 30 40 30 40 
			 Vincentian 190 220 230 250 250 240 
			 Zambian — — 10 10 10 10 
			 Zimbabwean 20 20 20 20 20 20 
			        
			 Army       
			 Non-UK 7,320 9,690 11,210 8,940 8,180 8,210 
			 Australian 70 70 70 80 70 60 
			 Bangladeshi 10 10 10 10 — 10 
			 Barbadian 10 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Belizean — — 30 50 50 50 
			 Botswanan 10 10 30 40 40 30 
			 British Commonwealth 10 10 10 — — — 
			 Cameroonian 30 50 70 70 70 80 
			 Canadian 60 60 50 40 40 40 
			 Citizen of Fiji 1,950 2,110 2,190 2,170 2,130 2,110 
			 Citizen of Seychelles 10 10 10 20 20 20 
			 Citizen of Sri Lanka 20 10 10 10 10 20 
			 Dominican 20 20 20 30 30 30 
			 Gambian 20 160 220 280 280 310 
			 German — — 10 — — — 
			 Ghanaian 780 870 920 940 890 890 
			 Grenadian 50 60 120 140 130 140 
			 Guyanese 20 20 30 30 30 20 
			 Indian 60 90 100 110 110 130 
			 Irish 210 230 240 290 340 390 
			 Jamaican 910 720 600 540 460 420 
			 Kenyan 130 140 180 200 220 240 
			 Malawian 120 180 220 250 250 250 
			 Maltese — — — — 10 10 
			 Mauritian 30 40 50 60 60 60 
			 Nepalese 30 50 310 440 460 530 
			 New Zealander 60 60 70 70 70 60 
			 Nigerian 90 130 160 190 200 220 
			 Pakistani 10 10 10 20 20 20 
		
	
	
		
			 Sierra Leonean 50 50 40 40 40 40 
			 South African 810 840 900 930 870 810 
			 St Helenian 20 20 20 20 10 10 
			 St Lucian 230 210 240 300 280 270 
			 Swazi 10 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Tanzanian — — 10 10 10 10 
			 Tongan 10 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Trinidad and Tobago citizen 70 70 70 70 60 60 
			 Ugandan 60 70 80 80 80 90 
			 Vincentian 270 240 370 350 330 330 
			 Zambian 20 20 30 40 40 40 
			 Zimbabwean 580 510 470 440 380 330 
			        
			 RAF       
			 Non-UK 540 350 290 240 220 200 
			 Australian — — — — — 10 
			 Canadian — — — 10 — — 
			 Citizen of Fiji 10 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Irish 20 30 30 30 30 20 
			 Jamaican 10 10 10 10 10 10 
			 New Zealander — — — — 10 10 
			 South African — 10 10 10 10 10 
			 Trinidad and Tobago citizen — — 10 10 10 10 
			 Zimbabwean — 10 10 10 10 10 
			 (1 )Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, except for numbers ending in '5' which are rounded to the nearest 20 in order to prevent systematic bias. Totals may not, therefore, equal the sums of their parts. Note: The tables exclude full-time reserve personnel, Gurkhas and volunteer reservists, and individuals for which no nationality is recorded. 
		
	
	Information on the armed forces of other countries is not held in a way which would enable us to make reliable calculations of what proportion these figures represent of the armed forces strength of each country in each year.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many military personnel have been made redundant since 2010;
	(2)  how many military personnel will be made redundant by 2015.

Mark Francois: Between 1 January 2010 and 31 August 2012 some 2,300 regular military personnel left the armed forces under the current armed forces redundancy programme. A further 4,300 military personnel are due to depart by June 2013, This will complete tranches one and two of the programme. Tranche two is the last major tranche for the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, although a small number of redundancies may be required for senior officers (colonel and brigadier equivalents) and senior medical staff on completion of the Senior Liability Review and the Defence Medical Services 20 study.
	With regard to the total number of military personnel who will be made redundant by 2015, there is likely to be a requirement for two further main tranches for the Army, in order to achieve the reductions to a strength of around 82,000 by 2020. However, no decisions have yet been made.
	These changes form part of the overall programme to restructure the armed forces and their capabilities by implementing the conclusions of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. Our goal of battle—winning armed forces, together with a smaller, more professional Ministry of Defence, also involves a reduction of 32,000 civilian personnel by 2020.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the proximity of pensionable age is taken into account when deciding which members of the armed forces to make redundant.

Mark Francois: holding answer 12 November 2012
	No. When selecting personnel of the armed forces for compulsory redundancy no consideration was given to the proximity of the immediate pension point. As we reduce the size of the armed forces, our priority is to ensure that the services maintain the correct balance of those skills and experience across the rank structures which are required to deliver operational capability now and in the future, and it is this which has determined the redundancy fields.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2012, Official Report, column 1074W, on armed forces: sexual offences, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the (a) Royal Navy and (b) Army campaign in relation to raising awareness of sexual assault; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: Each of the single service police forces undertakes crime and incident analysis, including the reporting of sexual assault, as part of their annual strategic assessments. However, there has been no specific assessment of the effectiveness of either the Royal Navy or the Army poster campaigns, which began earlier this year.

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the operational benefits of the Vehicle Systems Information Exploitation Health and Usage Monitoring System; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is undertaking work to develop vehicle and equipment sub-systems and exploit the information they provide on vehicle performance and reliability. This will ensure that operational benefits are gained through improved equipment availability, better fleet management and optimised through life support.
	Specifically, the MOD is in the process of equipping over 500 combat vehicles in the Operational Training Fleet with a Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS). This project will connect information between vehicle platforms, MOD establishments and industry leading to improved fleet performance and availability.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance upgrade; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what progress has been made towards completion of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance upgrade.

Philip Dunne: The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked (CVR(T)) has received a number of upgrades since entering service in 1972. CVR(T) Mk2 in its upgraded form was fielded as an urgent operational requirement (UOR) to operations in Afghanistan in September 2011 and has achieved full operating capability.
	BAE Systems, as the design authority, was contracted as the prime contractor, which provided greater risk assurance due to the timescales involved with fielding the UOR vehicle. It was the company's role to ensure that the chosen solution was compliant with the requirements set by the Ministry of Defence and to undertake sub-contract arrangements, including competition where appropriate, with a number of small and medium sized enterprises.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect that deployment of the upgraded Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance in theatre will have on UK military capability.

Philip Dunne: The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance has had several upgrades since it originally deployed to Afghanistan. These upgrades, primarily to improve the performance and protection of the vehicle, have been in response to the evolving nature of the threat faced in theatre and have been specific to operations in Afghanistan. In terms of the UK's broader military capability, the upgrades do not affect the out of service date for the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family of vehicles, which is planned to be complete by 2026.

BAE Systems

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department of the memorandum of understanding recently signed between MASS and BAE Systems.

Philip Dunne: This is a commercial matter between the companies concerned.

Canada

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the costs to service personnel of gym membership at BATUS in Canada.

Mark Francois: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has not received any representations on the costs to service personnel of gym membership at British Army Training Unit Suffield.
	Service personnel are not required to pay for gym membership.

Canada

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made on the provision of wi-fi networks at BATUS Canada.

Mark Francois: Wi-fi is provided in British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) through non-public welfare funds. We continue to seek ways in which the service can be improved, including upgrades via the Canadian I-Net system.

Catering

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on refreshments since May 2010.

Mark Francois: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Civil Servants: Retirement

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many senior civil servants have retired from his Department since 2010; and which such people have held meetings with (a) Ministers and (b) senior civil servants in his Department since retiring.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 22 October 2012
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 November 2012, Official Report, columns 169-71W, to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones).

Defence Reform Review

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which recommendations of the Levene report on Defence reform: an independent report into the structure and management of the Ministry of Defence he has implemented.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 5 November 2012
	We accepted all of Lord Levene's recommendations and will have implemented the majority of his recommendations by April 2013, although a small number of the changes will require longer to implement in full.
	Recommendations in implementation of which is complete include: strengthening top level decision making; clarifying the roles of the Permanent Secretary and Chief of the Defence Staff; the roles of the Service Chiefs and how they provide their advice; creation of the Joint Forces Command and appointment of its first Commander; the role of the Cost Assurance and Analysis Service; disestablishment of the former Central Top Level Budget organisation; introduction of the new Joint Assured model for management of senior military officers; and arrangements for personal oversight of implementation by the Secretary of State.
	We are making good progress on his other recommendations. We have published the new Head Office concept and senior structure setting out the role of a smaller, more strategic Head Office and we are implementing new command structures for the Navy, Army and Air Force, all delivering a significant reduction in senior posts; we are on course to introduce the new delegated financial and military capability operating model with an effective process for holding TLB Holders to account; and we are on course to reach full operational capability for the new Joint Forces Command. We expect these changes to come into force from April 2013 as planned, with subsequent fine-tuning as necessary as they bed down. Work also continues to improve talent management, determine the future arrangements for Defence Equipment and Support and deliver further efficiencies in our enabling services through the development of Defence Business Services and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, drawing on private sector expertise. This is all underpinned by a long-term programme to drive the right behaviours across defence: leadership at every level, everyone working together to make defence as a whole stronger, and modern, innovative ways of doing business.
	As set out in his report, Lord Levene is currently conducting his first annual review of implementation. I will report on progress to Parliament in light of his conclusions when I have received them.

Defence: Procurement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps he has taken to ensure that equipment for the armed forces is procured in the UK.

Philip Dunne: The overall approach was set out in the National Security Through Technology White Paper (CM 8278) published in February 2012. This makes it clear that we will work to enable UK-based industry to be sufficiently competitive to provide best value for money in meeting our defence and security needs. This includes: sustaining the level of investment in defence science and technology at 1.2% of the defence budget; encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises to fulfil their potential in responding to defence requirements; and increasing support for defence exports. The Ministry of Defence is also working closely with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to support the Defence growth partnership announced by the Prime Minister at the Farnborough International Airshow in July.

Defence: Procurement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of defence procurement; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the process is more robust.

Philip Dunne: A core element of Defence Transformation is to reform the acquisition system to drive better value for money from the defence budget. This includes the Materiel Strategy, involving a comprehensive analysis of defence acquisition activities. This has concluded that reforms are essential to address the legacy problems in defence acquisition that have led to cost and schedule overruns.
	The Ministry of Defence is currently considering the value for money case for a government owned contractor operated (GOCO) entity for Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S). Subject to the outcome of this work, an investment appraisal will follow that will test the GOCO model against the alternative of an improved DE&S.

Defence: Procurement

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 30 October 2012, Official Report, column 166W, what proportion of contracts tendered were placed through the single source non-competitive process in each of the last three years.

Philip Dunne: Details of new contracts placed with the Ministry of Defence, including those placed through a non-competitive process, are published annually in the UK Defence Statistics, the most recent version of which is available at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2011/c1/table115.php

Defence: Scotland

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in Scotland linked (a) indirectly and (b) directly to the (i) Type 26 programme, (ii) carrier programme, (iii) Astute successor programme and (iv) nuclear deterrent programme;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of jobs in Scotland linked (a) indirectly and (b) directly to the defence industry;
	(3)  in which Scottish towns and cities there are jobs (a) indirectly and (b) directly linked to the UK defence industry;
	(4)  how many people are employed in Scotland in jobs linked (a) indirectly and (b) directly to UK military aircraft manufacture;
	(5)  how many people are employed in Scotland in jobs linked (a) indirectly and (b) directly to UK military shipbuilding.

Philip Dunne: holding answers 9, 12 and 13 November 2012
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) no longer compiles national or regional employment statistics, as they do not directly support policymaking or operations.
	The MOD does not, therefore, hold information centrally about the number of jobs in Scotland linked to the programmes or sectors listed, or for the Scottish defence industry as a whole. The MOD, however, does hold some indicative figures which show that an estimated 5,500 jobs are directly linked to UK military shipbuilding in Scotland in general, including associated support staff working at the shipyards.
	For the following specific programmes the MOD also has indicative figures relating to directly linked jobs. There are currently approximately 170 industry jobs in Scotland linked directly to the Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme at BAE Systems Maritime—Naval Ships' (BAE MNS) site in Scotstoun.
	There are more than 2,000 industry jobs at BAE MNS's shipyards on the Clyde, and up to a further 2,000 at Babcock Marine's site in Rosyth, directly linked to the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier programme. However, the precise numbers at each location vary depending on the work being undertaken at the time.
	Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde sustains some 6,500 jobs, the majority of which play a role in supporting the UK's military nuclear programme including the nuclear deterrent and the Astute Class submarine. The MOD intends to base permanently the Astute and Trafalgar Class submarines in the Clyde, creating an additional 1,500 jobs. There are also approximately 300 industry jobs linked directly to the programme at the Naval Reactor Test Establishment at Dounreay.
	The MOD does not hold information about the numbers of jobs indirectly linked to these programmes.

DM Longtown

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received of the theft of munitions from DM Longtown; whether those reports will delay his final decision about its future; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 9 November 2012
	On 25 October 2012, a number of bar mines were stolen from a munitions train near Warrington which was transporting them from the Defence Munitions (DM) site at Longtown. All of the mines have now been recovered and the police have made arrests in connection with this incident.
	It is important that the circumstances surrounding this incident are fully understood. I have therefore deferred my decision on the future of explosive storage and processing at DM Longtown until ongoing investigations have been completed and any implications for munitions transport and storage have been properly taken into account.

Elbit Systems

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role Elbit Systems play in (a) the Joint Venture Company set up with Thales UK and (b) the overall development of Unmanned Air Systems in the UK.

Philip Dunne: The role of Elbit Systems in Unmanned Air Vehicle Tactical Systems Limited is a matter for the companies concerned.
	With regards to Ministry of Defence unmanned air systems (UAS) programmes, Elbit Systems acts as a subcontractor to Thales UK and provides the air vehicles, related ground control technology and operator training for the in-service Hermes 450 UAS. The Watchkeeper UAS, which will replace Hermes, builds on technological expertise developed for the Hermes system, with Elbit Systems acting as subcontractor to Thales UK for the provision of the air vehicles and related ground control.

ELINT

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the personnel requirements of his Department for the analysis of ELINT data; what steps he is taking to ensure that the requirement is met in (a) 2012-13 and (b) subsequent years; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence keeps under regular review the personnel requirements for staff with specialist electronic intelligence (ELINT) skills and continues to take the necessary steps to ensure that the requirement for future years will be met.

Fuels

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much (a) the armed forces and (b) his Department spent on petrol and diesel in each of the last five years.

Philip Dunne: The majority of petrol and diesel consumed by the Ministry of Defence—90% during 2010-11—was purchased under the bulk fuel contracts managed by Defence Equipment and Support. Expenditure on petrol and diesel for road vehicles in each of the last three financial years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Financial year Unleaded petrol Diesel 
			 2009-10 1.7 39 
			 2010-11 1.2 52 
			 2011-12 2.2 51 
		
	
	The combined expenditure on both unleaded petrol and diesel for road vehicles was £38.2 million in 2007-08 and £46.9 million in 2008-09.
	Data on fuel purchased outside of these arrangements are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HMS Dragon

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on problems with the gearbox on HMS Dragon; and how much longer she will remain in HM Naval Base Portsmouth before resuming full service.

Philip Dunne: A problem with HMS Dragon's engine was reported on 27 August 2012 when a defective bearing was identified in the ship's integrated propulsion system during a routine inspection. It has been established that the problem did not affect the auxiliary gearbox.
	Following a successful repair, the ship has already resumed her planned operational programme.

ICT

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the public purse was of his Department's expenditure on the defence information infrastructure in each of the last five years; and what proportion of his Department's IT expenditure such expenditure represented.

Philip Dunne: The cost to the public purse of the Defence Information Infrastructure, from its approved funding, in each of the last five financial years was:
	
		
			 Financial year Cost ex-VAT (£ million) 
			 2007-08 487 
			 2008-09 562 
			 2009-10 651 
			 2010-11 643 
			 2011-12 633 
		
	
	The Ministry of Defence's central financial systems combine the costs of IT with telecommunications, which does not allow IT costs to be readily isolated. Therefore proportionate information for each of the years above is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Information and Communications Technology

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on information technology in the last three financial years; and how much of this sum was spent on (a) software development and testing and (b) application including (i) staff training, (ii) the cost of new hardware and software and (iii) the cost of launching into the live environment.

Philip Dunne: Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure on IT and telecommunications for use across the armed services and MOD totalled £1.8 billion in 2009-10 and the same in 2010-11. This includes the costs of IT services, equipment purchases, telephone line, telephone rental charges and the service concession arrangements formerly known as the private finance initiative service charges. expenditure for 2011-12 has not yet been finalised.
	A breakdown of this expenditure into the categories requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the procurement of the F-35 joint strike fighter jet; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The UK is committed to the purchase of the short take off vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter and took delivery of its first two aircraft in July and October 2012, with both being used for initial operational test and evaluation. A third aircraft is on schedule for delivery in the second quarter of 2013. The UK will commence training for pilots and maintainers in December 2012 at Eglin Air Force Base in the US.
	As announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) we plan to deliver a carrier strike capability from around 2020 with embarked trials scheduled for 2018.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the F-35 joint strike fighter jet will be battle-ready.

Philip Dunne: Under current planning assumptions, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has a provisional initial operating capability of 2018, with the aircraft's in-service date not due to be finalised until its next investment decision point. As stated in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, it is the UK's intention to have the Carrier Strike capability from 2020.
	The first two test and evaluation aircraft were delivered this summer. The first production aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2016.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the capabilities of the F-35 joint strike fighter will differ from those of the Harrier.

Philip Dunne: The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a fifth-generation aircraft that represents a step change in capability compared to the third generation Harrier. Unlike the Harrier, it is an all-weather stealth aircraft with an autonomous intelligence-gathering capability, and it has significantly greater range and speed. It can also carry a larger payload of more advanced weapons than the Harrier.

Maritime Collaborative Working Environment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which industry partners are involved in the implementation of the maritime collaborative working environment;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the operational benefits of the maritime collaborative working environment.

Philip Dunne: The maritime collaborative working environment (MCWE) is a secure collaborative workspace that allows the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to share classified information with industry partners in a protected manner. The MCWE also contains advanced information technology features, which underpin various business critical, design management and safety processes. These are used to support the operation of Royal Navy submarines and surface ships.
	The MCWE service is provided by Babcock International Group, through its Maritime Technology division.
	The MCWE service is used by the MOD and its industrial partners including:
	Babcock;
	BAE Systems;
	Rolls-Royce;
	Lockheed Martin;
	Ultra Electronics;
	QinetiQ;
	BMT Defence Services;
	SEA; and
	Xpedite.

Military Aircraft

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings former senior civil servants in his Department have had with Ministers or officials in the Department in relation to the procurement programmes for (a) Future Lynx, (b) Fire Shadow and (c) Merlin re-fit since June 2010.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not maintain a central database recording the employment history of all former senior civil servants. The information requested is therefore not available or could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, within two years of leaving the civil service or the armed forces, former MOD personnel must obtain approval before taking up new employment if their roles within their former profession fell within a set of criteria (for instance access to commercially sensitive information of interest to their prospective employer). Employment applications by former MOD personnel at four star level or above, or that are deemed particularly controversial, would be referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

NATO

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes he plans to recommend to the disbursement arrangements for NATO's Common Funds.

Andrew Murrison: holding answer 9 November 2012
	While we have no plans to recommend changes to the disbursement arrangements for common funds at present, we do support a wider review of how common funding may be used, particularly if a way can be found to support collective training and exercises, an activity highlighted in the strategic concept, and thus maintain levels of operability post-international security assistance force. However, it must be a genuine force-multiplier and not a subsidy for those allies who do not invest appropriately in acquiring defence capabilities.

NATO

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK armed forces personnel are serving overseas in NATO-led operations.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 12 November 2012
	UK armed forces personnel are currently serving overseas on four NATO-led operations. In Kosovo there are two personnel in Kosovo Force (KFOR) posts (one permanent and one temporary). One member of the UK armed forces is serving with Operation Ocean Shield. 45 UK personnel—the ship's company of a Sandown Class ship—are serving with the Standing Naval Mine Counter-Measures Group 2.
	The only other NATO operation on which UK armed forces are currently serving overseas is Afghanistan. The precise number of personnel in Afghanistan fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors.
	We do not, therefore, publish actual figures for personnel deployed. I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Prime Minister on 6 July 2011, Official Report, columns 1511-4, and confirmed by the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), on 26 April 2012, Official Report, column 1118, that we are in the process of reducing the number of military posts established in Afghanistan to 9,000, which will be achieved by 31 December 2012.

Nuclear Weapons

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many staff in his Department are employed on the Trident replacement design programme;
	(2)  how many new staff his Department expects to employ on the Trident replacement submarine design programme as a result of the announcements on spending in (a) May 2012 and (b) October 2012.

Philip Dunne: The number of Ministry of Defence staff employed solely on the Successor submarine programme is approximately 130, although others contribute to the programme. This figure will change as the programme progresses, but is not affected by either of the recent announcements.

Public Expenditure

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of his Department's likely level of expenditure in 2012-13.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 12 November 2012
	This information is accessible on the Treasury website on pages 328 and 329 of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Main Supply Estimates 2012-13 PDF at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/main_supply_estimates_ 2012_13.htm
	We shall update our forecast of this financial year's outturn in the MOD's 2012-13 Spring Supplementary Estimates which are planned to be laid before the House in February 2013.

Redundancy

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the posts identified for redundancy within his Department in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13 were categorised as safety-critical.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) did not identify any specific posts for redundancy. Decisions on redundancy related to individuals within specified fields. The MOD remains committed to safety; and safety-critical roles will continue to be filled.

Reserve Forces

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits joined the Royal Naval Reserve in each of the last three years.

Mark Francois: The number of entrants to the Royal Marine Reserve and the Royal Navy Reserve in the last three financial years (FY) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  FY 2009-2010 FY 2010-2011 FY 2011-12 
			 Royal Marine Reserve 349 178 113 
			 Royal Navy Reserve 339 313 198

Scotland

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which firms based in Scotland have contracts with his Department;
	(2)  how many contracts his Department has with firms based in Scotland.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 13 November 2012
	As at 1 November 2012 the Ministry of Defence held 474 live contracts where more than 50% of the work was being undertaken in Scotland. These contracts have been placed with 222 contractors. Due to the large amount of data that would be required to list these contractors, the information will take time to collate. I will write to the right hon. Member as soon as it is available.

Sea King Helicopters

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the Sea King ASaC.7 will be retired; and what airborne early warning asset will replace it;
	(2)  if he will estimate how much has been spent on the Crowsnest programme to date; and how much he plans to spend on that programme in each year to 2020;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the ability to provide organic air surveillance and early warning after the retirement of the Sea King ASaC.7.

Philip Dunne: The Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control (SKASaC) aircraft will be retired in 2016 when the Sea King fleet exits service in entirety. Crowsnest is the project that will provide a replacement for this capability.
	Crowsnest is expected to enter its assessment phase in 2013. While there has been no direct spend on the project to date, approximately £18 million has been spent on relevant development work under predecessor projects. Crowsnest has not yet passed its main investment decision point. I am therefore unable to provide details of planned expenditure, as disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.
	Surveillance and control capability is provided by a range of platforms and equipment that work together in a layered approach. If Crowsnest were not available immediately on retirement of SKASaC, other systems could provide a surveillance and control capability until such time as Crowsnest came into service.

Staff

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's staff are (a) male and (b) female.

Mark Francois: The most recent figures on the proportions of male and female staff in the Ministry of Defence, as at 1 July 2012, for civilian personnel is 62.6% male and 37.4% female. The figures for service personnel are 90.3% male and 9.7% female.

Stealth Technology

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps he has taken to commission research into military stealth technology.

Philip Dunne: Analysis of stealth technology is routinely conducted on an on-going basis.

Submarines

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many of those in employment linked (a) indirectly and (b) directly to the Astute successor programme are expected to work on the Vanguard replacement programme once the Astute is complete;
	(2)  how many jobs are linked (a) indirectly and (b) directly to the Astute successor programme; and where each such job is based in the UK.

Philip Dunne: It has been clarified that these questions are referring to the Astute submarine programme itself.
	The Ministry of Defence does not hold information centrally about the number of jobs linked to the Astute programme.
	Estimates are, however, that the Astute programme sustains around 5,000 BAE Systems Maritime and Submarines jobs across the UK, and thousands of jobs through roughly 400 suppliers across the UK submarine supply chain.
	It is too early to comment on how many of these jobs will be required to support the successor submarine programme as this will depend on decisions to be made at Main Gate in 2016. It is clear, however, that as part of achieving a sustainable submarine industry, many of the highly skilled people across industry currently working on the Astute submarines are likely to be involved in delivering the successor submarines.

Submarines

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the timescale is for the completion of the Astute successor programme, by vessel.

Philip Dunne: It has been clarified that this question is referring to the Astute submarine programme itself.
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by the then Minister for International Security Strategy, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Sir Gerald Howarth) on 3 September 2012, Official Report, column 45W, to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell).

Trident Missiles

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of the Trident missile test launch in the Atlantic ocean on 23 October 2012.

Philip Dunne: The test launch of a Trident missile in the Atlantic ocean on 23 October 2012 took place as part of the Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO) for HMS Vigilant. The cost of the test launch cannot be disaggregated from the overall cost of the DASO.
	A DASO is critical for demonstrating the effectiveness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. It comprises a comprehensive series of system and sub-system tests, and provides a period of intensive training for the submarine’s crew. It evaluates the complete weapon system, including crew performance, and concludes with an unarmed Trident missile firing. The resultant data underwrites both UK and US system assurance. Following HMS Vigilant’s long overhaul period (refuel), the DASO was conducted as a routine operation before the submarine re-enters service. Prior to the test firing from HMS Vigilant, the most recent UK DASO was completed by HMS Victorious in 2009.

Trident Missiles

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his policy to inform other governments of Trident missile tests; whether any other governments were informed in advance of the test that took place on 23 October 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The UK is a signatory to The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation and is obliged to inform the 133 other signatories of ballistic missile and space-launch vehicle launches and test flights; this notification is carried out some days before the scheduled launch event. In addition, the UK issued direct, voluntary pre-launch notifications to Russia, China, France and Canada ahead of the launch.

Trident Submarines

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department’s press release of 29 October 2012 announcing £350 million for successor submarines, what methodology his Department used to estimate that funding would sustain 1,200 jobs.

Philip Dunne: The £350 million investment represents the second set of work packages on the assessment phase of the Successor submarine programme. Information on the number of jobs sustained by these work packages was provided by the relevant contractors: BAE Systems Maritime—Submarines (BAES) and Babcock Marine. The 1,200 figure consists of approximately 1,100 BAES personnel and 100 Babcock Marine personnel working on the Successor programme.

Trident Submarines

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make each further spending announcement during the Trident replacement submarine design phase; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: Announcements on spending on the assessment phase of the Successor submarine programme will be made as appropriate during the period leading up to the Main Gate investment decision in 2016.

UN Programme of Action On Small Arms and Light Weapons

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has taken steps to support other countries in implementing the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects in each of the last five years.

Philip Dunne: Since its adoption by the United Nations (UN) in 2001, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has consistently provided support to a number of states to build and strengthen their capacity to implement the UN Programme of Action, to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.
	Over the past five years this support has included visits to states in Africa, the middle east and Asia where MOD personnel have provided technical assistance to improve physical security and stockpile management, ammunition and disposal procedures. In addition to this technical training the MOD has also assisted states physically to dispose of surplus small arms and light weapons (SALW). The MOD has also provided border security training to states and funded the acquisition of weapon-marking machines to assist them to combat illicit trafficking.
	The MOD continues to support Her Majesty's Government efforts to secure a strong, legally binding Arms Trade treaty which will introduce common international standards for exports of conventional arms, including SALW, thereby reducing the opportunity for this equipment to reach the illicit market.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) he and (b) his Department have had discussions on the development of drones by states outside the UK in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: The Secretary of State for Defence, Defence Ministers and Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials regularly discuss a wide range of issues with international colleagues, including the development of Unmanned Air Systems (UAS).
	The MOD monitors development of UAS in an international context. This includes those developed by allies, which may provide opportunities for collaborative procurement, as well as those developed by potential threat countries, so as to inform our own capability planning.

Veterans

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department offers soldiers leaving the Army with job search skills and CV presentation.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence, through its contracted partner Right Management, provides resettlement services, which include advice, workshops, training and job finding. This arrangement is known as the Career Transition Partnership (CTP).
	The CTP provides career transition workshops, which specifically include CV writing and interview skills at regional resettlement centres in UK and Germany.

Westminster Connections

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) senior military personnel have had any meetings with Scott Hamilton of Westminster Connections since May 2010; and what was discussed at each such meeting.

Philip Hammond: There are no records of Defence Ministers having met with Scott Hamilton of Westminster Connections.
	Information regarding meetings with civil servants or senior military personnel is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Human Trafficking

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps she has taken to prevent human trafficking; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government are absolutely committed to tackling human trafficking and punishing the perpetrators of this terrible crime.
	We published our human trafficking strategy in July 2011 and the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group report, published on 18 October 2012, provides a current and full assessment of the Government's anti-trafficking efforts across the UK.

Human Trafficking

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces include anti-human trafficking measures in their strategic assessment; and how many police forces plan to include such measures in such assessments in 2013.

Damian Green: Data on local force strategic assessments are not collected centrally.
	The Government are committed to combating human trafficking and we will work with police and crime commissioners, who will be responsible for setting local policing priorities in 2013, to ensure that the threat of human trafficking is tackled at a local, as well as a national and international, level.

Police Force Collaboration

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the potential savings police forces could make through collaboration with other forces.

Damian Green: Collaboration is a key tool by which forces can improve operational effectiveness and drive out savings. HMIC's report “Increasing Efficiency in the Police Service—The role of collaboration” sets out forces' estimate that they will save £132 million through force to force collaboration by March 2015.

Police Force Collaboration

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the potential savings police forces could make through collaboration with other forces.

Damian Green: Collaboration is a key tool by which forces can improve operational effectiveness and drive out savings. HMIC's report “Increasing Efficiency in the Police Service—The role of collaboration” sets out forces' estimate that they will save £132 million through force to force collaboration by March 2015.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the recent elections for police and crime commissioners.

Damian Green: We estimate that the elections have cost £75 million, and the full costs will be made public in due course. It should be noted that this money will not come from funds that would otherwise have gone to policing.

Police and Crime Commissioners

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from the Electoral Commission on the police and crime commissioner elections since 1 September 2012.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 November 2012
	Home Office Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Police Accountability

Rob Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to improve the accountability of the police.

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps her Department has taken to improve the accountability of the police.

Damian Green: The public voted in their millions last Thursday for their local police and crime commissioners. These directly elected individuals will ensure the police deal with the issues that really matter to the communities they serve, as the public will be holding them directly to account.

Antisocial Behaviour

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour.

Jeremy Browne: Our reforms are putting victims and communities at the heart of the response to antisocial behaviour. We have worked with eight police forces to test new ways of dealing with repeat and vulnerable victims, and are trialling the new Community Trigger with several leading local areas. We will also give front line professionals faster, more effective powers to protect the public.

Migration Controls

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the potential effects on schools, housing and the NHS of the end of transitional controls on migration from Romania and Bulgaria.

Mark Harper: The Government do not routinely produce forecasts of levels of migration from individual countries.
	The difficulty in producing a reliable forecast, which would need to take account of a variety of factors, is in this instance accentuated because we are not the only member state required to lift labour market restrictions in 2013.

Arrest Warrants: Extradition

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been extradited to the UK under a European arrest warrant for offences concerning (a) human trafficking, (b) child sex offences, (c) murder, (d) rape, (e) fraud, (f) grievous bodily harm, (g) robbery, (h) theft, (i) drug smuggling, (j) money laundering and (k) other offences to date; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: It is not possible to break down by offence type the number of people who have been extradited to the UK under a European arrest warrant prior to 2009 due to the way data was recorded by the Serious Organised Crime Agency before this date. However, since April 2009 the figures are as follows:
	
		
			 Offence type Persons extradited post April 2009 
			 (a) Human trafficking 10 
			 (b) Child sex offences 39 
			 (c) Murder 26 
			 (d) Rape 10 
			 (e) Fraud 44 
			 (f) Grievous bodily harm 17 
			 (g) Robbery 9 
			 (h) Theft 12 
			 (i) Drug trafficking 59 
			 (j) Money laundering 6 
			 (k) Other offences (including) 59 
			 Armed robbery 18 
			 Kidnapping 3

Boarding Schools: Abuse

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures exist to ensure that people who previously reported alleged incidents of sexual abuse at boarding schools will have their cases re-examined by the police, if requested.

Damian Green: Anyone with a complaint about the way their allegation was investigated by the police should contact the police force concerned, their police authority or the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Boko Haram

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Nigerian group Boko Haram, or associated groups, has a presence in the UK; what steps police forces are taking to monitor any such groups for illegal activity; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 12 November 2012
	In relation to any presence by the organisation in the UK, I am unable to comment on intelligence matters.
	We are confident the police have the appropriate powers to deal with terrorism or fundraising for illegal purposes in the UK.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what additional funding the Government has allocated to local police forces to help them meet costs associated with the proposed badger cull; what funding the Government has allocated for the same purpose in the next financial year; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the cost to each police force in England of policing the proposed badger cull; what proportion of such costs have already been borne by each force; and how much she expects each force to spend on costs associated with the badger cull in the next two financial years.

Damian Green: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently announced that the badger cull has been postponed until summer 2013. The police forces involved with the cull will be making a Special Grant application to the Home Office in respect of the planning and operational costs of this operation. Applications will be considered by the Home Office, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and DEFRA. Any payments made by the Home Office will be reimbursed by DEFRA. We do not yet have estimated costs for the operation that will take place in 2013.
	The police forces have made Special Grant applications in respect of the planning costs incurred by them before the cull was postponed. We have received claims from two of the four police forces that were involved in the planning process. The claims total £80,000. These claims are currently being considered by the Home Office, HMIC and DEFRA and a decision will be made in due course.

Counter-terrorism

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been allocated to each local authority in England and Wales to support their work under the Prevent agenda.

James Brokenshire: Funding of up to £85,000 is allocated to 28 local authority Prevent priority areas to employ a Prevent co-ordinator.
	In 2012-13 up to £3 million is available to priority areas to fund activities which address specific local risks and are designed to establish specific Prevent benefits. There is no automatic funding allocation and priority areas are invited to bid for funding to deliver these activities.

Crime: Merseyside

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect on crime levels in Merseyside of the reduction in Government funding for the Community Safety Fund.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 9 November 2012
	Community safety funding is paid to local authorities in England via the Local Services Support Grant issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government. This funding is non-ringfenced to allow maximum flexibility in local management of resources.
	The latest recorded crime statistics published on 18 October 2012 show a 6% reduction in crime for Merseyside (from June 2011 to June 2012). I am pleased that Merseyside, like many other areas, has risen to the challenge of cutting crime with reduced budgets.

Draft Communications Data Bill

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which civil liberties organisations she has met to discuss her draft Communications Data Bill.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 8 November 2012
	Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Ecstasy

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what licences were held from her Department for the drugs used in the recent Channel 4 documentary on MDMA; what the process is for revoking such licences; and how the process of revocation would be initiated.

Jeremy Browne: We do not publicly disclose the details of controlled drug licences that are issued.
	Licences can be revoked if it is determined that a licence holder is acting outside the terms of their licence, or if it becomes apparent that a licence was either wrongly granted or fraudulently obtained.

Electoral Commission

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she last met representatives of the Electoral Commission.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 November 2012
	Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Imitation Firearms

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many replica weapons were recovered by the police in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The requested information is not collected centrally by the Home Office.
	However, the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) manage the NABIS database which holds data on replica firearms recovered by the police. NABIS is funded through an agreement by an ACPO subscription arrangement from the 43 police forces of England and Wales. Scotland contributes through the Association of Chief Police Officer for Scotland (ACPOS).
	The NABIS database has been in operation since January 2008 and available data for police forces in England and Wales (excluding British Transport police) and Scotland are provided in table A.
	Information on other types of replica weapons recovered by the police is not collected centrally.
	
		
			 Table A: Replica firearms recovered by the police, 2008 to 2012 (1, 2) 
			 Year (3) Number of replica firearms recovered by the police 
			 2008 90 
			 2009 202 
			 2010 107 
			 2011 40 
			 2012 20 
			 Total 459 
			 (1) Data are provided by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS), who manage the NABIS database on behalf of the Home Office. (2) Data are provided by police forces in England and Wales (excluding British Transport Police). Data for Scottish police forces have been included since April 2011. (3) Data are in line with those held in the NABIS database as at 12 November 2012.

Islam

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received on recording Islamophobia as a separate category of hate crime; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The Government is committed to improving the recording of all hate crimes. We recently published the first set of Official Statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police, which included those crimes motivated by religious hatred. Some police forces capture data on hate crimes against particular faith groups for intelligence purposes, and we would encourage this where it reflects local priorities. However, we also strive to strike the right balance between recording crime to the appropriate national level of detail and imposing new burdens on the police, and as a result have no current plans to mandate that forces have in place specific systems to separately record hate crimes against particular faith groups.

Mass Media

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which proprietors, editors and senior executives of (a) newspapers and (b) other media organisations she has met since 1 July 2012.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 8 November 2012
	This information is routinely published on the Home Office website.
	Details of meetings with external organisations including newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives for the period 1 July to 30 September 2012 is currently being collated and will be published in due course.

Police

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were in each basic command unit in each police force area in England and Wales on 31 March 2012.

Damian Green: holding answer 12 November 2012
	The requested information is not collected by the Home Office. The number of police officers at basic command unit level ceased to be collected from 2011-12.

Police

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to ensure that the police are rewarded appropriately.

Damian Green: The Government asked Tom Winsor to carry out an independent review of police officer and staff remuneration and conditions. This is providing the basis for constructive discussions about how to achieve a fair system of pay and conditions.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Elections

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 October 2012, Official Report, column 1012W, on police and crime commissioners, whether she has set a target for the turnout for the elections for police and crime commissioners.

Damian Green: holding answer 8 November 2012
	No.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Wales

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2012, Official Report, column 764W, on police and crime commissioners: Wales, whether the £350,000 includes costs for staffing, new stationery and the disposal of unused ballot papers.

Damian Green: holding answer 13 November 2012
	The £350,000 figure is the full cost of the various contingencies taken by police area returning officers. The Home Office does not hold details beyond that set out in the previous answer to which the hon. Member refers.

Police Custody: Death

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people died whilst in police custody in each calendar year (a) from 2001 to 2011 and (b) in 2012 to date;
	(2)  how many people died, by ethnic group, whilst in police custody in each calendar year (a) from 2001 to 2011 and (b) in 2012 to date;
	(3)  how many people died whilst in police custody in each police authority area in each calendar year (a) from 2001 to 2011 and (b) in 2012 to date.

Damian Green: The data is not available in the format requested by the hon. Member.
	Statistics on deaths in custody are published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Their report, deaths in or following custody: an examination of the cases 1998-99 to 2008-09, published in August 2011, contains a breakdown of figures by financial year as well as overall figures for the period, split by ethnicity and by police force area. The report is available on the IPCC website at:
	http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/deathscustodystudy.aspx
	The IPCC’s annual reports into deaths in custody, deaths following or during police contact: statistics for England and Wales, are also available for the period 2004-05 to 2011-12 at:
	http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/en/Pages/reports_polcustody.aspx
	A copy of all of the above reports will be placed in the Library.

Police: Driving

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps are being taken to ensure that police officers are provided with adequate driving training for high-speed pursuits;
	(2)  how many people have died in the London borough of Havering as a result of accidents caused by high-speed police pursuits in the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many people have died as a result of accidents caused by high-speed police pursuits in the last 10 years.

Damian Green: Last year, the Secretary of State for the Home Department issued a statutory code of practice on the management of police pursuits, including the need for appropriate training.
	Chief officers are legally required to have regard to this code. It is an operational matter for chief officers how training is provided.
	The Home Office does not collect information about the number of deaths as a result of accidents caused by high speed police pursuits.
	Figures collected by the Independent Police Complaints Commission from 2004-05 until 2011-12 show that 156 fatalities occurred in England and Wales as a result of accidents caused by police pursuits. There are no figures recorded on a local area or borough basis.

Police: Ethnic Groups

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many black and minority ethnic police community support officers of each ethnicity have applied to become full police constables within the Metropolitan Police Service in the last five years;
	(2)  how many black and minority ethnic applicants of each ethnicity have passed police assessment centre tests to become full police constables in the Metropolitan Police Service in the last five years.

Damian Green: The requested information for the number of police community support officers who have applied to become full police constables is not collected by the Home Office.
	The number of new entrants (police officers) appointed for black and minority ethnic applicants of each ethnicity in the Metropolitan Police Force in the last five years is provided within the following table. These applicants are assumed to have passed the police assessment centre tests to become full police constables.
	
		
			 New entrants (police officers) appointed to the Metropolitan Police Service, by black and minority ethnic groups, 2007-08 to 2011-12 (1, 2) 
			 Number 
			  Mixed Black or Black British Asian or Asian British Chinese or Other 
			 2007-08 15 23 31 17 
			 2008-09 82 62 135 44 
			 2009-10 65 44 115 55 
			 2010-11 11 15 16 10 
			 2011-12 57 38 85 34 
			 (1) Data have not undergone usual quality assurance practices (including validation with individual police forces) and are therefore supplied for information purposes only. (2) The number of new entrants appointed is the number of people who actually started work for the police service within that financial year (i.e. went on the payroll). It excludes people who were offered a job but did not join.

Police: Job Satisfaction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of (a) morale and (b) job satisfaction levels among police officers and staff.

Damian Green: holding answer 8 November 2012
	I take a keen interest in police morale and, along with other Ministers, meet police officers of all ranks from forces across England and Wales on a regular basis. Police forces' recruitment and retention rates compare extremely favourably to other workforces. The police have the lowest voluntary wastage of any sector and where forces recruit, application numbers remain high.

Primates: Animal Experiments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to revoke Noveprim's accreditation to supply primates to UK laboratories; and if she will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: The Home Office has no powers under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to approve or accredit overseas primate breeders. However, the use in regulated procedures of any non-human primate obtained from a source other than a United Kingdom based breeding or supplying establishment designated under the 1986 Act does require prior approval, which is only given if the conditions at the overseas breeding centre from which the animals originate are acceptable to the Home Office at the time of their supply.

Remembrance Day

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will publish her correspondence with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the policing of Remembrance Day services in 2012.

Damian Green: There has been no correspondence between Home Office Ministers and the Association of Chief Police Officers about policing Remembrance Day services in 2012. The policing of Remembrance services is an operational matter for the police.

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many and what proportion of days, on average, staff of her Department at each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The following table provides the rolling year average working days lost (RYAWDL) to sick absence for each pay grade in the Home Department for the financial year 2009-12.
	
		
			 Average working days lost by grade 2009-12 
			  Average working days lost (days) (1) 
			 Grade 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 AA 12.55 11.22 9.76 10.24 
			 AO 11.89 11.67 9.60 9.88 
			 EO 9.57 9.12 8.26 8.35 
			 HEO 6.99 6.34 6.49 5.87 
			 SEO 5.26 5.74 4.69 4.65 
			 Grade 7 3.54 4.10 3.66 3.80 
			 Grade 6 1.84 2.68 1.74 3.33 
			 SCS 1.64 1.23 0.90 3.40 
			 Unknown(2) 26.54 0.00 0.00 6.00 
			 Total 9.34 8.80 7.83 7.88 
			 (1) Figures are given on a staff year basis and are based on paid civil servants only, including current employees and those who left the Home Office during the financial year, in line with Cabinet Office reporting guidelines. Figures for all years include Home Office headquarters, the United Kingdom Border Agency, Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau. Figures for 2012 additionally include the National Fraud Authority, which became an Executive agency of the Home Office on 1 April 2011. Prior to February 2011, responses to requests for information relating to the ‘Home Department’ included information for headquarters employees only—Executive agencies were excluded from reported figures. Since February 2011, the Department has streamlined its reporting practices and departmental figures now include both headquarters and all Executive agencies. This means that it is not possible to make a direct comparison between information provided in this response and any responses made before February 2011. (2) In 2009 and 2012 there were a small number of employees whose grade was not known at the date of data extraction; normally as a consequence of pending transfers into the Department where the exporting Department has only sent partial data. This is corrected in a subsequent month when the transfer action is completed. Note: Extract Date: 1 April of each year given. (Figures are given on a financial year basis and for each year stated include the period from 1 April to 31 March). Source: Galena, the Home Office’s Oracle-based reporting solution, presenting Data View, the Department’s single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly corporate Human Resources data.

UN Protocol on Illicit Manufacture and Trafficking Firearms

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to ratify the UN Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition.

Damian Green: The UK already has some of the toughest firearms controls in the world which meet most of the obligations imposed by the Protocol. The Government will consider the question of ratification and what further steps may be needed to achieve this once the European Commission, which is also a signatory, becomes party to the Protocol.

CABINET OFFICE

Job Creation: Private Sector

Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 were part-time positions;
	(2)  what proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 were permanent positions.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions.
	Information regarding jobs created is not available. As an alternative, it is estimated using the Labour Force Survey (LFS) that of the increase in private sector employment between July-September 2010 and July-September 2012:
	40% was in part-time employment; and
	84% was in permanent employment.
	In the LFS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents' views about the organisation for which they work.
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and are not seasonally adjusted. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Minimum Wage

Kate Green: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 have been paid at the national minimum wage.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 have been paid at the national minimum wage. (128628)
	From the available sources of information it is not possible to estimate the proportion of new jobs created in the private sector between August 2010 and August 2012 which have been paid at the national minimum wage.
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ashe/low-pay/april-2011--soc-2010-/index.html

Part-time Employment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of part-time workers in England and Wales in each of the last three years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question.
	The ONS compiles Labour Market Statistics on part-time employment for areas smaller than the UK following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions using the Annual Population Survey (APS).
	Estimates of part-time workers resident in England and Wales have been produced for people aged 16 and over from the APS for:
	the latest 12 month period ending June 2012
	the 12 month periods ending December for 2009 to 2011.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates accompanies the estimates for the latest period.
	These figures along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Number of people working part-time (1)  in England and Wales 
			 12 months ending: Part-time workers (thousand) 
			 December 2009 6,779 
			 December 2010 6,900 
			 December 2011 6,946 
			 June 2012(2) *6,972 
			 (1) Part-time workers are those that declared they were in part-time paid work in the 7 days prior to interview. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many employees of his Department are paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Nick Hurd: Information on paybill can be found in the Cabinet Office's annual accounts which are published online at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/cabinet-office-annual-reports-and-accounts
	In addition, as part of this Government's transparency programme, further detailed information is published online including information on staffing numbers, pay for senior officials and departmental organograms.

Temporary Employment: Tax Avoidance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he will review Government procurement policy to ensure that money from the public purse does not support any suppliers who operate travel and subsistence schemes for the purpose of tax avoidance.

Chloe Smith: The public procurement rules require suppliers to be excluded if they (or directors or other persons with control) have been convicted of various specific offences, which include “cheating the Revenue” and “fraudulent evasion”.
	There are further grounds for exclusion at the discretion of the procurement authority, including failure to fulfil obligations related to payment of tax.
	In addition, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and the Cabinet Office are examining how the Government can use the procurement process for Government contracts to deter the very small minority of companies and individuals which evade tax and use aggressive tax avoidance schemes.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Joan Walley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people from Stoke-on-Trent have taken part in each year of the National Citizen Service; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: 23 young people from Stoke-on-Trent participated in 2011. The 2012 pilots are still underway; the numbers participating will be made available with the publication of our independent evaluation report.

Working Mothers

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the maternal employment rate is in each (a) region and (b) local authority.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what recent estimate there is of the maternal employment rate in each (a) region and (b) local authority area of the UK. 128958
	The latest information available is from the Annual Population Survey household datasets for January to December 2011.
	The estimates for each region of the UK can be found in the table.
	It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the maternal employment rates for all the local authority areas due to small sample sizes. The estimates for the local authority areas which do have large enough sample sizes are included in the tables. As the tables are quite large they will be placed in the House of Commons library.

SCOTLAND

Employment Agencies

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in his Department.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not use offshore employment companies for the supply of public sector workers.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Consumer Prices Index

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the effect of changes in tuition fees on the consumer prices index; and what estimate he has made of the effect of such changes on his Department's pensions welfare budget at annual uprating in 2013.

Steve Webb: My Department discusses a number of issues with HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The calculation of the consumer prices index (CPI) is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics. Various Government policies impact on CPI inflation. The Office for Budget Responsibility takes account of the impact of Government policies on inflation and the Government's fiscal targets in their forecasts.
	Decisions on uprating of state pensions and benefits will be announced at the time of the Chancellor's autumn statement.

Dementia

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to support the Prime Minister's dementia challenge and the work of each of the challenge groups; what resources he has committed; what timescales he has set for this work; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: We fully support the Prime Minister's Dementia Challenge. Our disability strategy—Fulfilling Potential—is exploring how we can help all disabled people, including people living with dementia, to realise their aspirations for life.
	We have invited the Alzheimer's Society, to join a new disability action alliance, which will carry forward ideas proposed by disabled people, to help shape and deliver the outcomes disabled people want. One of the priorities the alliance will consider will be to promote inclusive communities and change attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people.

Housing Benefit

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households previously affected by the changes to the local housing allowance who have also been identified as being potentially affected by the household benefit cap; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available.

Industrial Health and Safety

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many unpaid court fines for breaches of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 were recorded in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.

Helen Grant: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.
	HM Courts and Tribunals Service systems do not identify how many fines remain outstanding for specific offences and therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost as it would require a manual search of all fine accounts.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) information and (b) support is available to enable people with musculoskeletal conditions to remain in work.

Esther McVey: We are committed to ensuring that all disabled people, including those with musculoskeletal conditions, have the opportunities, chances and support that they need to get a job and remain in employment and there is a range of provision to help them.
	We do not target our employment programmes exclusively at individuals with particular conditions such as musculoskeletal conditions. The Department's programmes aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including those with musculoskeletal conditions.
	Access to Work provides additional support for individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job. It provides individuals and their employers with advice and support with extra costs which may arise because of an individual's needs. The type of support Access to Work provides can include awareness training for colleagues, support workers and specialist aids and equipment. Access to Work helped over 30,000 disabled people get or keep employment in 2011-12 and the Government is making an extra £15 million available for Access to Work over this Spending Review.
	Work Choice provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment, find and stay in work and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment.
	Information about the range of support available can be obtained from Jobcentre Plus disability employment advisers who can provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment. They can also refer individuals to specialist programmes and advocate with employers on the individual's behalf. Information is also available on the Government's recently launched website
	www.gov.uk

Occupational Pensions

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the recent report by the Pensions Institute, Caveat Venditor, on auto-enrolment.

Steve Webb: The Government welcomes contributions to the debate about how to ensure automatic enrolment meets its objectives. It is vitally important that people are enrolled in schemes that offer transparent and value for money charges. We continue to support the pensions industry to develop clear guidance. We are already seeing the positive effect that NEST is having on the industry. Workers are being enrolled into workplace pension schemes at much lower charges than in the past. I have also called for providers to guarantee not to enrol people into high cost legacy schemes and am pleased to see industry responding.

Occupational Pensions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that employees offered offshore contracts receive the employer contributions to the new workplace pensions.

Steve Webb: The workplace pension reforms apply to a worker who is working or ordinarily works in the UK. This is intended to be a broad test which ensures the scope of automatic enrolment covers the wide range of working arrangements in the UK. This includes both those that already exist, but also provides a degree of future proofing.
	The primary issue to be considered in determining whether a worker ordinarily works in the UK is where the worker is based. The starting point for determining this is what the worker's contract says and how it is operated in practice. Employers will need to consider factors including: where the worker begins and ends their work; where their private residence is; where the worker's headquarters is; whether they pay UK national insurance; and what currency they are paid in.
	The only exception to this rule is offshore workers (for example those working on oil rigs) who are treated as ordinarily working in the UK if they are working in the UK territorial sea, UK continental shelf or in the UK sector of a cross-boundary field.

Pension, Disability and Carers Service

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the annual salary is of the chief operating officer of the Pension, Disability and Carers Service.

Mark Hoban: Since 1 October 2011 the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service ceased to exist as an Executive Agency. There is now a single chief operating officer responsible for the whole of DWP's operational delivery functions.
	The Department's organisation and salaries of the most senior people are available on the data.gov.uk website, which is updated on a regular basis and can be accessed at:
	http://reference.data.gov.uk/gov-structure/organogram/?dept=dwp

Pension, Disability and Carers Service

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2012, Official Report, column 83W, on Pension, Disability and Carers Service, for what reasons the information is not available in the requested format.

Mark Hoban: The Department for Work and Pensions records the number of hon. Members' letters addressed to the chief operating officer. The total number of letters signed by the chief operating officer is also recorded but is not categorised by type of letter.

Social Security Benefits

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on regional benefit differentials; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for South Down (Ms Ritchie) on 4 July 2012, Official Report , column 669W.

State Retirement Pensions

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to ensure that women affected by changes in the state pension age are informed of such changes in sufficient time to allow them to rearrange their financial planning.

Steve Webb: We have written to over a million women whose state pension age was increased under the Pensions Acts of 1995 or 2011. These women were born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1955 inclusive. In addition we wrote to men born 6 December 1953 to 5 April 1955 whose pension age also increased under the 2011 Act.
	We have now started to write to men and women born between 6 April 1955 and 5 April 1960 telling them their new state pension age will be 66.
	These letters will be sent to around 4.6 million people over a period of two years. People can also find out their state pension age under current law by using the state pension calculator on the www.gov.uk website.

Vacancies

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time vacancies were advertised in Jobcentre Plus in (i) Barrow and Furness constituency, (ii) Cumbria and (iii) the UK on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: The numbers requested are as follows:
	
		
			 September 2012 Full-time Part-time 
			 Barrow and Furness 181 78 
			 Cumbria 2,329 790 
			 Great Britain 421,950 125,508 
			 Note: Figures are provided for GB rather than UK, as relevant data for Northern Ireland are not available. Source: NOMIS

Vacancies: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new vacancies were listed in Jobcentre Plus in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria in each month of the last three years.

Mark Hoban: The numbers requested are shown in the table (please note no data were published nor are available for September 2010, believed due to an IT problem).
	The data provided are the total vacancies notified. We are unable to say how many vacancies were new each month.
	
		
			 Total vacancies notified 
			 Number 
			  Barrow and Furness Cumbria 
			 2009   
			 October 279 2,195 
			 November 499 2,546 
			 December 371 1,979 
			    
			 2010   
			 January 223 1,476 
			 February 293 1,862 
			 March 310 2,399 
			 April 249 2,176 
			 May 361 3,168 
			 June 289 2,412 
			 July 314 2,422 
			 August 287 3,047 
			 October 339 3,215 
			 November 273 2,168 
			 December 261 1,771 
			    
			 2011   
			 January 133 1,254 
			 February 207 1,814 
			 March 210 2,256 
			 April 263 2,976 
			 May 183 1,712 
			 June 198 2,100 
			 July 252 2,661 
			 August 209 2,199 
			 September 211 2,167 
			 October 406 2,960 
			 November 279 2,182 
			 December 357 1,758 
			    
			 2012   
			 January 176 1,453 
			 February 262 2,084 
			 March 221 1,902 
			 April 280 3,446 
			 May 337 2,089 
		
	
	
		
			 June 300 2,655 
			 July 294 2,308 
			 August 347 2,347 
			 September 259 3,119 
			 Data Source: NOMIS.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2012

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he had with industry representatives prior to the introduction of section 16(5) of the Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2012.

John Hayes: The Department has had a number of discussions with industry representatives over the development of the energy company obligation (ECO) policy. We consulted on the proposal that the ECO carbon saving obligation should focus primarily on promoting and installing solid wall insulation. Following views received during consultation, we ensured that the final design allowed certain other measures to be delivered as part of packages of work, including glazing measures where they meet the criteria in what is now section 16(8) of the revised draft Order. We also proposed that any measure should be allowed under the affordable warmth obligation provided it allows eligible households to heat homes more affordably, which includes glazing measures where they meet the criteria in section 16(8).
	The hon. Member may wish to know that the revised Order, now entitled the ‘Energy Companies Obligation' Order 2012, was laid in Parliament on 30 October. Section 16(5) of the previous draft Order has now been renamed 16(8) in the revised draft Order.

Employment Agencies

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in his Department and its associated public bodies.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change policy on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers is consistent with the new rules for central Government Departments to ensure that contractors are meeting their tax obligations following the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Review of Tax Arrangements of Public Sector Appointees on 23 May 2012.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not distinguish between UK and overseas-based companies. DECC's standard terms and conditions requires contractors and their subcontractors, agents and personnel to comply with other applicable law. Clause 31 also specifically sets out payment of taxes requirements for contractors. Link:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/about-us/6466-decc-standard-terms-and-conditions-for-services-p.pdf

Energy

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the domestic market share was of each of the six major energy suppliers for (a) gas and (b) electricity in each of the last 10 years.

John Hayes: The information requested is a matter for Ofgem. The Chief Executive of Ofgem will write to the right hon. Member directly, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Energy: Housing

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the subsidy that will be available for energy efficient glazing following the introduction of section 16(5) of The Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) Order 2012.

Gregory Barker: The Government published its estimate of the impact of glazing measures under the Green Deal and energy company obligation (ECO) in its “Final Stage Impact Assessment for the Green Deal and ECO”:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/green-deal/5533-final-stage-impact-assessment-for-the-green-deal-a.pdf

Exhaust Emissions: Transport

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to section 30 of the Climate Change Act 2008, if he will bring forward proposals for regulations to reduce emissions from aviation and shipping; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Emissions from domestic aviation and shipping are already included within the UK's carbon budgets. International aviation and shipping emissions are not yet included within this framework. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), is taking into account the advice provided by the Committee on Climate Change and will respond by the end of 2012 as required by section 30 of the Climate Change Act 2008.

Fuel Poverty

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to allocate funds raised through the (a) Emissions Trading Scheme and (b) carbon floor price to programmes designed to reduce fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Government has no plans to bring forward proposals to allocate funds raised from the EU Emissions Trading System or the carbon price floor to fund specific projects.
	It has been the view of successive UK governments that spending priorities should not, in general, be determined by the way in which revenue is raised as this is an inefficient means of allocating public funds. The Government already spends substantial amounts of money on climate adaptation and mitigation measures, both at home and abroad.

Garages and Petrol Stations: Closures

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the number of petrol forecourts that have closed in the last 12 months.

John Hayes: In August 2012 there were 8,599 petrol filling stations open in the UK, compared to 8,763 sites in August 2011, according to Experian Catalist reports held by the Department.
	DECC has commissioned a report on the retail market for road fuels to develop the evidence base on the impact of structural changes to the market over recent years. I have committed to write to all Members of Parliament with its findings later this year.

Glass: Recycling

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to encourage re-use of glass jam jars.

Anna Soubry: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 31 October 2012, Official Report, column 255W.
	The Food Standards Agency is unaware of any programme initiated by itself or another Government Department to actively encourage or discourage the re-use of jam jars.

Petrol

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much petrol is currently kept as a strategic reserve; and for how many days that reserve is expected to last.

John Hayes: We place obligations on companies supplying petroleum products in the inland market requiring them to hold stocks of crude oil and its products equivalent to a minimum of 67.5 days of annual daily inland consumption, using powers under the Energy Act 1976. In August 2012, the latest period for which data are available, the UK held over 3 million tonnes of petrol, the equivalent of over 80 days of consumption.
	From January 2013, companies will be required to meet a third of their individual obligation in finished products for petrol, diesel and aviation fuel. DECC is working with industry to ensure these obligations are efficiently met.

Universal Credit

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit.

Gregory Barker: The energy company obligation (ECO) and Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme will overlap with the introduction of universal credit.
	Under the elements of the energy company obligation which are designed to provide support to low income households, energy suppliers will be required to meet heating cost saving and carbon saving targets through providing energy efficiency measures to households in receipt of specified means tested benefits. The draft ECO order has been laid before Parliament and is subject to its approval. The benefits listed in the order as eligibility criteria include working age benefits and therefore will be amended to include reference to universal credit.
	The Warm Home Discount scheme regulations include a range of working age means-tested benefits which energy suppliers may choose to use as eligibility criteria for the Broader Group—subject to Ofgem's approval. The scheme regulations on the Broader Group require energy suppliers to provide energy bill rebates to a wider group of low income households beyond those low income pensioners assisted under the Core Group of the scheme. This list of working age benefits will be amended to include reference to universal credit.
	We are working closely with DWP to ensure the introduction of universal credit works smoothly with our schemes and continues to target the support available at those most in need while reflecting the eligibility criteria currently within the schemes' legislation.

Wind Power

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for South Northamptonshire, of 1 November 2012, Official Report, column 369, on onshore wind farms, what target he has set for the capacity of onshore wind to be installed after 2020.

John Hayes: The ambition for renewable energy up to 2020 are set out in the renewables roadmap.
	After 2020, our aim is that technologies will compete to meet our low carbon energy ambitions in the new market framework.

TREASURY

Apprentices

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the speech of 29 October 2012, on delivering the regional renaissance, what the breakdown of the 34,000 apprenticeships he expects to be created in the first wave of City Deals is by City Deal.

Greg Clark: holding answer 5 November 2012
	I am responding as the Minister responsible for City Deals.
	I am pleased to say that the core cities—the eight largest cities in England outside of London—have told us that the first wave of City Deals will create an estimated 38,560 new apprenticeships.
	This means new opportunities for young people and small businesses across the country in our great cities.
	The first wave of City Deals will support 3,560 new apprenticeships in Greater Birmingham and Solihull, 17,500 new apprenticeships in the Leeds area, 6,000 new apprenticeships in the Liverpool area, 6,000 new apprenticeships in Greater Manchester, 500 new apprenticeships in Newcastle, 1,000 new apprenticeships in Nottingham, and 4,000 new apprenticeships in the Sheffield area.
	In addition to this, Bristol and the West of England has committed to a 5% rise in apprenticeships.

Banks: Loans

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of how his funding for lending scheme will benefit consumers; and what steps he has put in place to measure the success of the scheme.

Greg Clark: The Funding for Lending Scheme provides strong incentives to banks to make loans cheaper and more easily available for businesses and households. The Bank of England will publish quarterly data from 3 December 2012 showing, for each participating institution, the amount borrowed from the Bank and the net quarterly flows of lending to UK households and firms.

Banks: Loans

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that banks and building societies publish the details of their mortgage lending made using his Funding for Lending scheme.

Greg Clark: The Bank of England will publish, for each institution participating in the Funding for Lending Scheme, the amount borrowed from the Bank and the net quarterly flows of lending to UK households and firms and the stock of loans as at 30 June 2012. The first publication will be on 3 December 2012. The Bank of England also publishes data on aggregate mortgage lending on a monthly basis.

Child Benefit

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of child benefit was in 2011; and if he will estimate the cost of child benefit in 2015, if such benefit were restricted to two children at the current rate and assuming the continuance of current demographic trends for family size.

David Gauke: In 2010-11 the total spend on child benefit was £12.0 billion (rounded to the nearest £100 million).
	If child benefit was restricted to two children in 2015-16, the estimate of total spend is £10.0 billion (rounded to the nearest £100 million). Government policy is that child benefit is paid to all families with children unless the highest earner in a household earns in excess of £50,000 per annum.

Child Benefit

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of families in each parliamentary constituency who would be effected if child benefit were to be capped at two children per family.

Sajid Javid: Estimates at the parliamentary constituency level are not available.

Corporation Tax

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2012, Official Report, columns 1092-3W, on capital gains tax, how many companies in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c) the north-east paid each rate of corporation tax for each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many such companies were small and medium-sized enterprises.

David Gauke: holding answer 5 November 2012
	The figures provided in the following tables show the number of companies with liabilities at each rate of corporation tax for accounting periods ending in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10. The table shows the numbers of these that are estimated to be small and medium-sized companies. The figures for England and the north-east are based on the location of the companies' registered office. This may be different to the location where the companies' activity takes place. This is the latest information available at reasonable cost with the requested level of breakdown.
	
		
			 Number of companies with liabilities at each rate of corporation tax and those with a registered office in England and the north-east 
			 For accounting periods ending in 2007-08 
			  Small profits rate Marginal rate Main rate 
			 UK (all) 832,000 43,000 48,000 
			 UK (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 831,000 43,000 41,000 
			 England (all) 752,000 38,000 43,000 
			 England (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 751,000 38,000 37,000 
			 North-east (all) 18,000 1,000 1,000 
			 North-east (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 18,000 1,000 1,000 
		
	
	
		
			 For accounting periods ending in 2008-09 
			  Small profits rate Marginal rate Main rate 
			 UK (all) 808,000 39,000 47,000 
			 UK (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 807,000 39,000 40,000 
			 England (all) 743,000 36,000 44,000 
			 England (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 742,000 36,000 38,000 
			 North-east (all) 18,000 1,000 1,000 
			 North-east (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 18,000 1,000 1,000 
		
	
	
		
			 For accounting periods ending in 2009-10 
			  Small profits rate Marginal rate Main rate 
			 UK (all) 799,000 37,000 40,000 
			 UK (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 798,000 36,000 34,000 
			 England (all) 719,000 33,000 37,000 
			 England (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 718,000 32,000 31,000 
			 North-east (all) 19,000 1,000 1,000 
			 North-east (small and medium-sized companies—see note 3) 18,000 1,000 1,000 
			 Small Profits Rate = 21% and Main Rate = 28% Notes: 1. For the purpose of allocating a company to a country/region, the postcode of the company's registered office has been used. This may not relate to where all of a company's activity takes place. 2. UK totals include a small proportion of companies whose postcodes are unknown. The amount of companies assigned to England and the north-east include a small amount of unknown postcodes (where the postcode is unknown, the companies have been given the same distribution across the regions as where the data are complete). 3. For the purpose of this analysis, a small or medium-sized enterprise has been defined as having less than 250 employees and at least one of a trading turnover of less than or equal to 50 million Euros, or balance sheet total of less than or equal to 43 million Euros in their accounting period (appropriate exchange rates have been used for each year). Companies where this information is not readily available have been apportioned to the size categories in line with the distribution for companies where the size can be ascertained. 4. For the purpose of this analysis, HMRC define the terms as follows: a. CT liabilities are considered to be accrued in the financial year of the end date of the company's accounting period. b. Small Profits Rate: Since April 2010, the lower rate of corporation tax has been called the Small Profits Rate (SPR) rather than Small Companies’ Rate (SCR). This makes clear that it is the size of the profits, rather than the size of the company, which determines the tax rate to be applied. c. Marginal Relief: This can be claimed by companies with taxable profits between the lower and upper limits, to enable a smooth transition between the small profits rate and the main rate of CT. d. Main Rate: The rate of corporation tax paid by companies with profits above the lower limit. Companies with profits between the lower and upper limit are taxed at main rate but can usually claim Marginal Relief. 5. Figures are based on companies only and exclude unincorporated businesses. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Corporation Tax

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appeals against HM Revenue and Customs decisions on corporation tax have been made to the First-tier Tribunal (Tax) or its predecessor in each year since 2004.

David Gauke: Appeals relating to corporation tax received by the First-tier Tax Tribunal which began on 1 April 2009:
	
		
			  Total Penalty cases other 
			 2009-10 484 126 358 
			 2010-11 785 249 536 
			 2011-12 700 332 368 
			 2012 (to date) 399 166 233 
		
	
	Reliable figures for corporation tax cases dealt with by the General and Special Commissioners of Income Tax, the predecessors of the First-tier Tax Tribunal are not available.

Economic Situation: Forecasts

Graham Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Bank of England on the full publication of the details of the Compass forecasting model.

Greg Clark: The Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly meets with the Governor of the Bank of England to discuss a wide range of issues.
	The Compass forecasting model and publication of details about it is the responsibility of the Bank of England.

Excise Duties: Fuels

George Freeman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much revenue he raised from fuel duty from (a) rural and (b) urban areas in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made on the effect of rising fuel prices on the average disposable income for people in (a) rural and (b) urban areas in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Treasury does not hold rural and urban disaggregated information on tax receipts from fuel duty.
	The Office for National Statistics routinely publishes data on household expenditure. This includes data series CSSC on transport fuel expenditure, contained in the Office's ‘Consumer Trends Excel Dataset, Current Price, Seasonally Adjusted, Q2 2012', which is available online through the Office's website at:
	www.ons.gov.uk
	The Office also publishes information on Household Disposable Income Across the UK. The Office's most recent data release of 13 July 2012 is available through its website.

Gift Aid

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if the Government will support efforts to ensure that claiming Gift Aid on donations made either online or by text message to multiple charities can be covered by one single Gift Aid claim;
	(2)  if he will review the system for making Gift Aid declarations for text donations; and whether he plans to make any announcement in 2012 on legislative changes that will allow the process of claiming for multiple charities to be streamlined.

Sajid Javid: The Government is keen to make Gift Aid as easy and as accessible as possible to donors and charities. Gift Aid is already available on text donations and on other forms of digital giving, subject to the right infrastructure being in place.
	As Gift Aid is a tax relief, it is necessary to ensure that Gift Aid declarations are correctly collected and recorded and donors understand what they are signing up to. Donors remain liable for any tax reclaimed by the charity if they have not paid enough tax to cover the claim on their donation.
	HM Revenue and Customs has been discussing with charity representatives how the sector might set up a Gift Aid database for participating donors and charities to use to eliminate the need for donors to make a Gift Aid declaration to each charity they support.

Gift Aid: Schools

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which schools in Scotland (a) are registered for Gift Aid and (b) have received gift aid payments in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the total value of gift aid payments claimed by schools in Scotland is in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(3)  he will publish the value of gift aid payments made to each individual school in Scotland claiming such payments in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not separately identify Gift Aid claims by reference to the types of organisations that make the claims or by reference to the location of the organisations within the UK.
	For reasons of taxpayer confidentiality, HMRC is not able to disclose details of Gift Aid income received by individual charities. Amounts of tax repaid to charities in the UK on donations under Gift Aid are published in Table 10.3 on the HMRC website at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm
	In 2011-12 a total of £1,057 million (provisional figure) was repaid to UK charities under Gift Aid.

Government Departments: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department monitors whether Government contractors that win Government contracts pay the appropriate amount of tax in the UK; and whether any sanctions exist if Government contractors fail to pay the appropriate amount of tax in the UK.

David Gauke: Consideration of what tax compliance checks to carry out is a matter for each individual Department when procuring Government contracts. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the right hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander), announced on 25 September that HMRC and the Cabinet Office had been tasked with looking into how the Government as a whole can use the procurement process for government contracts to deter the very small minority of companies and individuals that do so from evading tax and from using aggressive tax avoidance schemes. More details will be made available later in the year.

Government Securities

Mark Reckless: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether paying interest coupons on gilts to the Bank of England's Asset Purchase Facility causes the Public Sector Net Cash Requirement to be lower than would be the case if those gilts were still held by the private sector.

Greg Clark: As the Bank of England's Asset Purchase Facility is part of the public sector, the coupon income that it receives reduces the public sector net cash requirement.

Imports: Eggs

Neil Parish: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether dried whole egg, dried egg albumin, dried egg yolk, special dried egg powder mixes and other types of dried egg imports are included in HM Revenue and Customs' commodity code groups.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) confirm that all goods imported into the European Union are covered by a commodity code listed in the customs tariff. If the dried egg yolk and dried egg albumin do not contain other ingredients the commodity codes are likely to be:
	
		
			  Commodity code 
			 Dried egg yolk unfit for human consumption 0408 11 20 00 
			 Dried egg yolk fit for human consumption 0408 11 80 00 
			 Dried egg albumin unfit, or rendered to be unfit, for human consumption 3502 11 10 00 
			 Other dried egg albumin in crystals 3502 11 90 10 
			 Other dried egg albumin other than in crystals 3502 11 90 90 
		
	
	HMRC advise me that the classification of the other egg powder products listed may not be straightforward. The following commodity codes may be appropriate:
	
		
			  Commodity code 
			 Other dried egg unfit for human consumption 0408 91 20 00 
			 Other dried egg fit for human consumption 0408 91 80 00 
		
	
	However, it is important to note that these two commodity codes only include egg powder products where they do not contain additional ingredients such as salt.
	As the exact composition of the products is not known and their classification may not be straightforward, HMRC tell me that they provide verbal classification advice via the Tariff Classification Helpline on 01702 366077.

Mortgages

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on how many mortgages have been taken out in the London borough of Havering in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people have (a) applied for and (b) been granted a buy-to-let mortgage in each of the last five years.

Sajid Javid: The Government does not collect or publish data on mortgage applications and approvals. A number of organisations including the Bank of England and the Council of Mortgage Lenders collect data on mortgages, which they make available publically.

National Insurance Contributions: Musicians

Kelvin Hopkins: UKVT 47 (7CC); and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government has received a small number of representations from musicians regarding the application of Class 1 national insurance contributions to self-employed musicians. This follows meetings between HM Revenue and Customs and the Musicians Union in which the consequences for musicians of the Upper Tribunal judgment in the case of ITV Services Ltd v. HM Revenue and Customs were explained.
	The Government is acutely aware of the concerns of self-employed musicians regarding the application of Class 1 national insurance contributions. An appeal by ITV Services is due to be heard by the Court of Appeal in December. Once the Court hands down its judgment, the Government will be better able to consider fully the position of self-employed musicians and the application of Class 1 national insurance contributions.

Offshore Industry

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures are in place to encourage oil and gas exploration.

Sajid Javid: The Government is committed to a fiscal regime for oil and gas that encourages investment and innovation while ensuring a fair return for the Exchequer.
	This year, the Government has announced a range of measures to encourage oil and gas investment, to help maximise the economic production of the UK's oil and gas reserves and unlock billions of pounds of new oil and gas investment. These include extensions to the field allowance regime to encourage investment in commercially marginal fields and projects, and a commitment to provide greater certainty on decommissioning relief. Together with existing field allowances and enhanced capital allowances, these measures will help ensure that the oil and gas tax regime continues to encourage both exploration and development.

Personal Income

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people in each region have an annual income in excess of (a) £1 million and (b) £2 million;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of people living in London who earn more than £1 million a year.

David Gauke: Numbers of UK taxpayers with total income of £1 million and £2 million and over are published in Table 2.5 ‘Income tax liabilities, by Income Range, 2009-10 to 2012-13' available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2-5.pdf
	These estimates are based on Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) data for 2009-10.
	A regional breakdown of these figures is not published, due to small sample sizes.
	Regional breakdowns of taxpayer numbers by marginal rate of tax, gender and age are available in Table 2.2 ‘Number of individual income taxpayers by marginal rate, gender and age, by country and region':
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/table2-2.pdf

Public Sector Debt

Dominic Raab: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to address UK net debt.

Greg Clark: holding answer 6 November 2012
	The Government has set out a comprehensive plan to set debt on a downward trajectory. The Budget sets out a total consolidation of £155 billion per year by 2016-17, with 81% of this coming from spending reductions.

Regional Planning and Development

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding the Government plans to award to successful applicants for the second wave of City Deals.

Greg Clark: holding answer 5 November 2012
	I am responding as the Minister responsible for City Deals.
	The second wave of City Deals will build on the first, giving more cities and their wider areas the tools to power their own growth.
	City Deals aim to decentralise powers and budgets currently held centrally to help drive economic growth in our cities.

Regional Planning and Development

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely cost of the bidding process for the second wave of City Deals to (a) central Government, (b) local government and (c) local enterprise partnerships.

Greg Clark: I am responding as the Minister responsible for City Deals.
	The Government have invited 20 cities and their wider areas to put forward initial proposals for a Wave 2 City Deal. This opportunity is optional and it will be up to local areas to decide how they approach it and what resources they put into it.
	My officials in the Cities Policy Unit, working with BIS Local, will provide support to all 20 cities and their wider areas to develop their initial proposals.
	Initial proposals submitted by cities and their wider areas will be considered by a cross-Whitehall panel of officials and then by Ministers during the normal course of business, therefore there will be no additional cost to central Government.

Regional Planning and Development

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with local government leaders in the Tees Valley on the submission of a wave two City Deal bid.

Greg Clark: holding answer 5 November 2012
	I am responding as the Minister responsible for City Deals.
	Tees Valley leaders were invited to submit an expression of interest for a Wave 2 City Deal on 29 October. The Government are committed to support Tees Valley along with the other 19 cities and their wider areas to submit proposals that will deliver growth and jobs for their communities. Throughout this process there will be an open dialogue with local leaders and conversations are ongoing.

Revenue and Customs: Cumbernauld

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed at HM Revenue and Customs Cumbernauld on (a) 13 November 2012 and (b) 6 May 2010.

David Gauke: HMRC staff in post data is taken at the last day of the month. There were 1,273 staff employed in Cumbernauld on 31 October 2012 and 1,498 on 30 April 2010.

Social Enterprises

Chris White: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to include social enterprise in the Government's growth agenda; and if he will make a statement.

Sajid Javid: The Treasury is conducting an internal review of the financial barriers to social enterprise, as announced at Budget 2012. The review will report to Ministers in due course.
	The Government supports the diversification of non-bank finance for businesses, particularly SMEs—including social enterprises. The Regional Growth Fund has co-funded a £60 million wholesale fund for community development finance institutions, and the Business Finance Taskforce has introduced a pilot network for the referral of businesses that are declined finance to the Community Development Finance Association.

Staff

Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last 12 months.

Sajid Javid: The Department’s accounting system does not separately identify the recruitment agency fee element of an invoice, and this information could not be extracted within the disproportionate cost threshold.
	Spending on outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and staff training during 2011-12 can be found in the following table; this also includes the equivalent figure for 2009-10.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Staff training Outplacement agency fees 
			 2011   
			 April 26,723 — 
			 May 48,726 — 
			 June 35,644 — 
			 July 39,263 — 
			 August 45,279 — 
			 September 36,753 1,008 
			 October 56,970 5,184 
			 November 96,144 144 
			 December 63,341 288 
			    
			 2012   
			 January 82,537 288 
			 February 59,426 — 
			 March 212,549 — 
			    
			 2011-12 total 803,175 6,912 
			 2009-10 equivalent spending 2,252,065 14,023

Taxation: Fraud

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer arising from organised fraud in relation to (a) income tax, (b) value added tax and (c) corporation tax, in each of the last five years.

David Gauke: The breakdown of the tax gap by behaviour is not available for the last five years.
	The most recent tax gap estimates were published in October 2012 in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2012’, which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/mtg-2012.pdf
	HMRC has only produced an illustrative breakdown of the tax gap by behaviour for 2007-08, 2009-10 and 2010-11. HMRC's current tax gap estimate is that a total of £5 billion was lost in 2010-11 to criminal attacks. Previous estimates of criminal attacks were £5 billion for 2007-08 and £6 billion for 2009-10.
	A detailed breakdown of criminal attacks for each tax is not published.

Temporary Employment: Tax Avoidance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take steps to tackle travel and subsistence schemes being used by some temporary labour providers for the purpose of tax avoidance;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure employers who operate travel and subsistence schemes are fully compliant with national minimum wage legislation;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to ensure that temporary and agency workers are not exploited by temporary labour providers operating travel and subsistence schemes for the purpose of tax avoidance.

David Gauke: The Government is committed to tackling all forms of tax avoidance and a number of steps have been taken to address non-compliance in this area.
	Following the 2008 consultation “Tax Relief for Travel Expenses: Temporary Workers and Overarching Employment Contracts,” HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has changed the way it issues dispensations to ensure greater consistency. Additionally, HMRC has set up specialist teams to ensure that businesses operating these types of schemes are complying with the rules.
	To protect the lowest paid workers from exploitation, the Government tightened the national minimum wage regulations from 1 January 2011 to make it clear that expenses paid for travel to a temporary workplace could not count as payment towards NMW. This change protects low paid temporary employees working through agencies and other types of labour providers.
	HMRC works closely with, among others, BIS and the GLA to ensure that temporary workers are not exploited through the use of these schemes.

Venture Capital

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to promote investment in venture capital trusts.

David Gauke: holding answer 12 November 2012
	The Government has increased the qualifying company limits so that Venture Capital Trusts (VCT) can now invest in companies with fewer than 250 employees and gross assets of £15 million. The Government has also more than doubled the annual investment limit for qualifying companies to £5 million and removed the £1 million limit on investment by a VCT in a single company. These changes took effect from April this year.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bombings: Omagh

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many detectives are currently engaged in the police investigation into the Omagh bombing.

Michael Penning: The allocation of police resources is an operational matter for the Chief Constable.

Employment Agencies

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what her policy is on the use of offshore employment companies in the supply of public sector workers in her Department and its associated public bodies.

Michael Penning: Neither my Department nor its arm’s length bodies employ staff supplied by offshore employment companies.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Algeria

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in Algeria and Morocco about the repatriation of those living in refugee camps in Tindouf province in Algeria.

Alistair Burt: During my visit to Algeria on 24-26 June and to Morocco on 26-28 June, I discussed with Mr Abdelkader Messahel, the Algerian Minister Delegate for Maghrebian and African Affairs, and Moroccan Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs, Youssef Amrani, developments in the UN-led process on Western Sahara. While there has been no specific discussion regarding the repatriation of those living in refugee camps in Tindouf, I have continued to re-emphasise the UK's support for the UN-led process and our call on all parties to show political will and a spirit of compromise in negotiations.

Algeria

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the security situation in refugee camps in Tindouf province in Algeria.

Alistair Burt: The security situation in the Tindouf camps is discussed as part of the ongoing dialogue between the British and Algerian governments. Representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last visited the Tindouf camps in the second quarter of 2011, and expect to visit them again shortly. The British ambassador to Algeria attended a briefing by the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross, on 8 November 2012 in Algiers. Ambassador Ross is undertaking an extensive visit of the region and we expect him to report back to the UN Security Council in due course, including on the security situation.

Algeria

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the humanitarian situation in refugee camps in Tindouf province in Algeria.

Alistair Burt: The humanitarian situation in the Tindouf camps is discussed as part of the ongoing dialogue between the British and Algerian governments. Representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last visited the Tindouf camps in April 2011, and expect to visit them again shortly. The British ambassador to Algeria attended a briefing by the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Christopher Ross, on 8 November 2012 in Algiers. Ambassador Ross is undertaking an extensive visit of the region and we expect him to report back to the UN Security Council in due course, including on the humanitarian situation.

China

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential for the (a) UK and (b) EU, to develop a low carbon strategic partnership with China with particular reference to the establishment of joint standards in the manufacturing and industrial sectors.

Mark Simmonds: Developing low carbon strategic partnerships with China at UK and EU levels is an important element of the British Government's strategy for working with China on Climate change and low carbon. We support the EU-China Partnership on Climate Change which was established in 2005 and provides a high-level political framework for collaboration; and the UK has memoranda of understanding with China on climate change and low-carbon co-operation which frame our bilateral relations in these areas. These partnerships cover a range of policy areas and we will be working with Chinese colleagues to build on the existing collaboration in the future. This could include work on standards.

Dalai Lama

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2012, Official Report, column 23W, on Dalai Lama, what advice was given to Ministers on meeting His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

Hugo Swire: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 November 2012, Official Report, column 23W. As the hon. Member will be aware it is not the normal practice to disclose detailed departmental advice given to Ministers, as to do so would inhibit the frankness and candour of such advice.

EU Defence Policy

Mark Reckless: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on plans to establish an EU military operations headquarters.

David Lidington: The UK has made very clear that we will not agree to the establishment of a permanent EU military operational headquarters. This remains the case.

EU Law

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what fines were levied on the UK Government for non-compliance with EU directives from (a) 1997 to 2010 and (b) 2010 to date.

David Lidington: No fines have ever been levied on the UK Government for non-compliance with EU directives.

Mauritania

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the UK's relationship with Mauritania.

Alistair Burt: Following the visit last October 2011 of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), the relationship between the UK and Mauritania continues to deepen. We have an active dialogue in a number of areas of mutual interest including the Sahel, security, trade, and greater regional co-operation. We welcome Mauritania's decision to reopen its embassy in London; this reflects the importance of the growing co-operation between our two countries. We will continue our dialogue through ministerial contact and through our ambassador to Morocco, who is accredited also to Mauritania.

Slovak Roma

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) his European counterparts and (b) the European Commission on the distribution of Slovak Roma in Europe; and what representations he has made to the European Commission on future budgetary requirements to support programmes related to the incidence of Slovak Roma in the English regions.

David Lidington: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not had any discussions with European counterparts or the European Commission on the distribution of Slovak Roma in Europe. Nor has the Government held any specific discussions with the European Commission on budgetary requirements to support the integration of Roma in England. However, the UK is playing an active role in discussions at EU level with the European Commission and other member states on issues relating to Roma integration in the European Union, including general funding pressures.

Trade Agreements

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will initiate contingency planning including exploratory multilateral or bilateral trade talks with the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to (a) strengthen existing trade agreements and (b) examine future possible trading agreements were the UK to change its terms of membership of the EU; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Government is committed to strengthening trade links with its partners across the world. In a bilateral context, UK Trade & Investment is helping strengthen these links and is now represented in over 100 markets throughout the world, including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In Europe, we are encouraging the EU to conclude free trade agreements with Canada, India and Singapore, as well as to launch negotiations with the US and Japan; this would tackle the remaining barriers to almost half the world's trade flow.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), discussed issues around the EU and trade in a recent speech he gave in Berlin on 23 October 2012. The full text of the speech is at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/speeches/foreign-secretary/

Turks and Caicos Islands

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Government's management of the Turks and Caicos Islands during the period in which self-governance was suspended.

Mark Simmonds: UK Ministers have made a series of written ministerial statements updating the House on progress against the eight milestones for elections and a return to democratic government. I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the last written ministerial statement issued by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the former Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), on 12 June.

Turks and Caicos Islands

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will allow the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands to delay the introduction of VAT if it wishes to do so.

Mark Simmonds: The Interim Government in Turks and Caicos Islands decided to introduce VAT. Consequently the VAT Bill was signed into law on 18 July 2012 and will come into force on 1 April 2013. Any delay would require a change in legislation. Before giving assent to such legislation, the Governor would need to consider if it was consistent with the Constitution and the Statement of Governance Principles in force. This requires the new Turks and Caicos Islands Government to formulate and conduct macro-economic and fiscal policy for the sustained long-term prosperity of the people of the islands, and to manage public funds according to established principles of value for money, affordability and regularity and in the interests of long-term financial stability.
	A framework document has also been agreed that sets out the key principles of good financial management and the debt threshold targets agreed by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague). Within this framework the new Government will need to agree a medium-term strategic plan that includes revenue and expenditure forecasts for at least the next three financial years. It is important that TCI demonstrates its ability to run a credible and sustainable fiscal policy, including reducing its debt levels, so that it can refinance itself independently by the time the UK Government debt guarantee expires at the end of 2015-16. UK agreement to the budget and fiscal plans will be contingent on TCIG formulating credible policies to meet these key objectives.

Ukraine

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Ukraine on the arrest and detention of Yulia Tymoshenko.

David Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), to the House on 15 May 2012, Official Report, column 420, and to the answer given on 13 June 2012, Official Report, column 488W, to the right hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire South (Mr Alexander). We have continually made clear representations to the Government of Ukraine about cases of selective justice, including that of Yulia Tymoshenko. On 29 August, I issued a statement expressing disappointment at the High Specialised Court’s denial of Mrs Tymoshenko’s appeal against her conviction. Following Ukraine’s parliamentary election on 28 October, I issued a further statement criticising the way that selective justice had led to the abuse of leading opposition candidates from the campaign. The handling of cases against opposition figures has exposed the extent to which Ukraine is lagging behind EU standards and expectations in areas of democracy and the rule of law. We, together with EU partners, continue to make clear to Ukraine that selective justice and politically motivated trials are a backward step for democracy and will jeopardise prospects for ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement by the European Parliament and all EU member states.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on how many British citizens were killed by unmanned aerial vehicle strikes in each of the last three years; and in which countries any such fatalities occurred.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not keep detailed records of deaths of British nationals overseas who may have been killed by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) strikes. We are aware, of public reporting in relation to a small number of individuals alleged to have been killed by UAV strikes overseas, but cannot comment on specific cases.

Visits Abroad

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last visited (a) China, (b) Brazil and (c) the US.

Hugo Swire: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), last visited China on 14 to 15 July 2010 (and also Hong Kong on 16 to 17 January 2011), Brazil on 18 to 19 January 2012, and the USA on 24 to 29 September 2012.
	As Minister responsible for our relations with Brazil, I visited Brazil on 27 to 28 September 2012. I also attended the UN General Assembly in New York on 28 to 29 September.

Western Sahara

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 September 2012, Official Report, column 470W, on Western Sahara, whether the right to self-determination includes an option of independence.

Alistair Burt: The UK is strongly supportive of the UN-led process which aims to encourage the parties to the Western Sahara dispute to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The exact nature of this solution will need to be agreed by the parties themselves.

Western Sahara

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any funding under the Arab Partnership Fund is being used to support programmes in Western Sahara.

Alistair Burt: The Arab Partnership does not fund any programme activity in Western Sahara. It currently funds programme activity in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
	We regard the status of Western Sahara as undetermined and support the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in their efforts to resolve the dispute through a negotiated settlement, providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Yemen

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the application of Yemen for membership of the Commonwealth.

Alistair Burt: As a sovereign state with historical links to the United Kingdom, Yemen qualifies to join if it meets the criteria as set out in various documents, notably the Harare Declaration of 1991. All prospective members must abide by certain political principles, including democracy and respect for human rights. The Commonwealth Heads of Government have previously considered an application by Yemen. It was agreed it would be kept under review in light of the agreed criteria. The British Government welcomes action by the Yemeni Government to take all necessary measures to enable it to qualify.

JUSTICE

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Jeremy Wright: The following shows the information requested split between National Offender Management Service (NOMS), and the wider Ministry of Justice (MOJ). Invoices are paid through different processes for each organisation, and the data have not been aggregated as they are extracted from separate databases and so the cost per invoice processed cannot be considered comparable between the two organisations:
	NOMS
	Invoice processing is completed by an in-house (civil servant) team based in Newport, South Wales.
	Cost per accounts payable transaction between 1 September 2012 and 30 September 2012 was £2.83.
	In September 2012 proportion of invoices settled:
	electronically = 99.98%
	by cheque = 0.02%
	M O J
	Invoice processing is completed via an outsourced contract by a commercial company (Liberata).
	Cost per accounts payable transaction between 1 September 2012 and 30 September 2012 was £5.03.
	In September 2012 proportion of invoices settled:
	electronically = 88.61%
	by cheque = 11.39%

Catering

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on refreshments since May 2010.

Helen Grant: The Department does not hold central records for expenditure on refreshments. However, the following restrictions apply to all staff with effect from August 2010:
	No lunches, tea or coffees can be ordered for any internal meeting (ie a meeting between MOJ staff). Water and jugs are freely available in most of our offices.
	For all external meetings (ie a meeting between MOJ staff and external stakeholders), lunch, tea and coffee purchases require director-level sign-off and are only allowed in exceptional circumstances.
	To provide information on departmental expenditure on refreshments would involve disproportionate cost.

Crime and Courts Bill

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what definition of a requirement for the purpose of punishment the Government proposes to use when issuing guidance on the implementation of the provisions of part 1 of the new Schedule to the Crime and Courts Bill moved by Lord Taylor of Holbeach and Lord McNally in Committee in the House of Lords on 26 October 2012.

Jeremy Wright: The Government has not defined the meaning of “punishment”, in the proposed legislation The expectation however is that it would generally cover restrictions of liberty or some requirement that represents a recognisable sanction to the public (such as curfew, exclusion, or community payback). The court will be assisted in determining what is punitive in each individual case by pre-sentence reports from probation staff and guidance to probation staff will be issued in advance of implementation of these provisions. Any sentencing guidelines to the courts would be issued by the independent Sentencing Council.

Debt Collection

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Government will examine (a) multiple fee-charging for a single visit and (b) adherence to vulnerable person guidelines by private bailiff firms as part of its ongoing bailiff reforms.

Helen Grant: The “Transforming Bailiff Action” consultation considered the fees charged by bailiffs for enforcement action and the treatment of vulnerable persons during enforcement action.
	My officials continue to examine these issues as part of the ongoing reforms.

Drugs: Birmingham

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been found guilty of offences of drug (a) possession and (b) dealing in Birmingham in each year since 1997.

Jeremy Wright: The number of offenders found guilty at all courts in the Birmingham local justice area for relevant offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, for the years 1997 to 2011 (the latest available), can be found in the following table.
	
		
			 Table 1: Defendants found guilty at all courts for relevant offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Birmingham (1) , 1997 to 2011 (2, 3, ) England and Wales 
			  Offence 
			 Defendants Possession of a controlled drug (4) Possession with intent to supply a controlled drug (5) Supply (6) 
			 1997 408 135 59 
			 1998 666 124 71 
			 1999 724 131 62 
			 2000 914 114 87 
			 2001 1,017 130 62 
			 2002 1,067 123 49 
			 2003 1,125 141 85 
			 2004 833 166 79 
			 2005 595 136 75 
			 2006 677 136 62 
			 2007 824 144 95 
			 2008 928 120 66 
			 2009 1,007 136 52 
			 2010 735 132 62 
			 2011 897 109 140 
			 (1 )Refers to Birmingham local justice area and Birmingham Crown court only. (2 )The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4 )An offence under S.5(2) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. (5 )An offence under S.5(3) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. (6 )An offence under S.4(3) Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Source: Ministry of Justice, Justice Statistics Analytical Services.

Electronic Tagging

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of increasing the number of offenders tagged to (a) 70,000, (b) 100,000 and (c) 130,000.

Jeremy Wright: We have no plans to set a target for the number of offenders subject to electronic monitoring.
	The Ministry of Justice is putting out to competition new contracts for the delivery of electronic monitoring services. The new contracts will allow us to introduce the most advanced technology, improving delivery and providing better value for taxpayers. We are unable to disclose detailed cost information while the competition is in progress.

Landlords: Prosecutions

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many landlords have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 for failing to arrange an annual gas safety check or issuing a copy certificate in each local authority area in each year since 2004;
	(2)  how many landlords have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 for failing to keep in repair and proper working order the installations in the dwelling house for the supply of water, gas and electricity in each local authority area in each year since 2004;
	(3)  how many landlords have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for (i) tenant harassment and (ii) illegal eviction under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 in each local authority area in each year since 2004;
	(4)  how many landlords have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for failing to maintain their property under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System in respect of (i) excess cold and dampness, (ii) leaking roofs, (iii) dangerous or unstable structures, (iv) dangerous electrical installations, (v) general disrepair issues, (vi) overcrowding and (vii) fire hazards in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for the unlawful eviction of an occupier and the unlawful harassment of an occupier under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 in England and Wales from 2004 to 2011 (latest available) is given in the tables. Figures are provided by police force area as the Ministry of Justice court proceedings database does not hold details of offences by local authority area.
	Court proceedings data held centrally in an aggregated format do not separately identify individual offences under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. Similarly it is not possible to separately identify the specified offences under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.
	Information on offences under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 is not collated centrally by the Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			 Table 1: Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for 'unlawful eviction of occupier' (1)  by police force area, England and Wales, 2004 - 11 (2,3) 
			  2004 2005 2006 2007 
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Avon and Somerset 1 1 1 1 4 2 1 1 
			 Bedfordshire 4 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Essex 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gwent 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 4 4 2 0 0 2 
			 Humberside 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 8 4 5 3 9 4 8 2 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 4 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 South Wales(4) 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 2 0 3 4 2 2 
			 Staffordshire 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Surrey 1 1 2 1 0 0 1 1 
			 Sussex 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 5 2 3 1 8 4 6 1 
			 West Yorkshire 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			          
			 England and Wales 36 17 25 15 44 21 26 14 
		
	
	
		
			  2008 (4) 2009 2010 2011 
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 
			 Cheshire 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Essex 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Gwent 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 2 1 3 2 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 1 2 6 1 5 3 5 3 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Northamptonshire 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 1 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 South Wales(4) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 1 0 3 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sussex 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 2 0 4 4 1 1 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 West Mercia 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 1 1 4 2 3 2 1 1 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 2 3 0 0 1 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 England and Wales 14 6 26 15 22 15 23 13 
			 (1) Offences under S.1(2) Protection from Eviction Act 1977. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes Cardiff magistrates court records for June, July and August 2008. Source: Ministry of Justice—Justice Statistics Analytical Services 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for 'unlawful harassment of occupier' (1)  by police force area, England and Wales, 2004 - 11 (2,3) 
			  2004 2005 2006 2007 
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 0 1 0 4 2 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 2 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Humberside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 3 1 8 2 7 0 1 1 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Wales(4) 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 
			 South Yorkshire 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sussex 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 3 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 
			 West Yorkshire 0 1 3 1 0 0 2 1 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 England and Wales 12 6 16 5 18 4 8 7 
		
	
	
		
			  2008 (4) 2009 2010 2011 
			 Police force area Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
			 Avon and Somerset 6 3 2 2 0 0 1 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 
			 Cheshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Greater Manchester 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Humberside 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lancashire 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 2 1 3 2 3 0 6 2 
			 Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Northumbria 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Wales(4) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 2 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Sussex 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 0 2 1 0 0 2 1 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands 2 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 
			 West Yorkshire 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			          
			 England and Wales 13 8 15 9 9 6 15 7 
			 (1) Offences under S.1(3) Protection from Eviction Act 1977. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes Cardiff magistrates court records for June, July and August 2008. Source: Ministry of Justice—Justice Statistics Analytical Services

Leasehold Valuation Tribunal

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  for what reason costs ordered by the Leaseholder Valuation Tribunal are limited to £500; where he advertises that limit; what exceptions there are; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on how many occasions the Leaseholder Valuation Tribunal has made a costs order above £500 in the last two years; and what the highest costs order was.

Helen Grant: Costs ordered by the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT) are limited by statute to £500. Their function is to provide a potential sanction where a tribunal determines that a party has behaved in a frivolous or vexatious manner or abused the tribunal process. The limit is set out in the Department for Communities and Local Government publication “Residential Long Leaseholders—A guide to your rights and responsibilities” and the Leasehold Advisory Service publication “Applying to a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal”. There are no exceptions to the costs limits. For this reason the LVT has not awarded costs above £500 in the last two years.

Methamphetamine

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted of (a) manufacturing and (b) using methamphetamine in (i) the London Borough of Havering and (ii) the UK in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales.
	The number of defendants found guilty at all courts for selected offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 relating to methylamphetamine (Crystal meth) and amphetamines, within the Havering local justice area and England and Wales in 2011, can be viewed in the following table.
	
		
			 Defendants found guilty at all courts for selected offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (1)  relating to methylamphetamine (Crystal meth) and amphetamines, within the Havering local justice area and England and Wales, 2011 (2,3) 
			 Area Offence description Total guilty 
			 Havering local justice area Having possession of amphetamines 6 
			    
			 England and Wales Production of or being concerned in the production of amphetamines 1 
			  Having possession of amphetamines 2,389 
			  Production of or being concerned in the production of methylamphetamine (Crystal meth) 1 
			  Having possession of methylamphetamine (Crystal meth) 19 
			  Having possession of methylamphetamine (Crystal meth) with intent to supply 3 
			  Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes relating to methylamphetamine (Crystal meth) 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Total  2,419 
			 (1) Includes the following offences relating to the controlled drugs methylamphetamine (Crystal meth) and amphetamines: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.4(2)—Production of or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug. Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.5(2) as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 S.157 Sch.8— Having possession of a controlled drug. Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.5(3)— Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 S.8 & Sch.2 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 S.157 & Sch.8 Part II— Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes. (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he proposes that the changes in England and Wales to rehabilitation periods in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 as amended by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 should also apply to recruited service personnel from Scotland.

Jeremy Wright: The reforms to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) apply to convictions within the jurisdiction of the England and Wales. It is for the Scottish Parliament to decide whether or not it wants to introduce similar reforms to the Scottish legislation dealing with convictions in that jurisdiction.

Policing and Crime Act 2009

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many convictions there were under section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012;
	(2)  how many offenders have received the maximum penalty under section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice are aware that there were issues in the central recording of the data relating to this offence in 2011. These issues are being investigated and revised information for 2011 and 2012 figures will be included in the next annual Criminal Justice Statistics publication, planned for release in May 2013.
	The number of defendants found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentence breakdown, for offences under section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009, in England and Wales for 2010, can be viewed in the following table.
	The maximum sentence available for offences under section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 is a £1,000 fine. Zero offenders received this maximum sentence in 2010.
	
		
			 Defendants found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with sentence breakdown, for offences under section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009 (1) , England and Wales, 2010 (2, 3, 4) 
			 Offence Outcome Number 
			 Paying or promising to pay a person to provide sexual services, where that person is subject to exploitative conduct to induce or encourage them to provide those services Found guilty 43 
			  Sentenced 43 
			  Other sentences 14 
			  Fine 29 
			  Of which:  
			  Maximum available fine (£1,000) — 
			    
			 Soliciting another for the purpose of obtaining their sexual services as a prostitute in a street or public place Found guilty 64 
			  Sentenced 64 
			  Other sentences 13 
			  Fine 51 
			  Of which:  
			  Maximum available fine (£1,000) — 
			 (1) Sexual Offences Act 2003 S51a and S53a, as added by the Policing and Crime Act 2009 section 14. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) It is known that central recording issues relating to this offence will have impacted on data provided for 2011. These issues are being investigated and revised figures will be published in the next annual Criminal Justice Statistics bulletin in May 2013.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have been returned to the UK under the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons from (a) the US, (b) European Union countries and (c) the rest of the world in each of the last 10 years.

Jeremy Wright: The following table gives the information requested for each of the last five years. Information relating to the transfer of prisoners prior to 2007 is not available.
	
		
			  USA EU Rest of world 
			 2007 10 34 19 
			 2008 8 17 24 
			 2009 4 38 10 
			 2010 5 52 17 
			 2011 2 45 11 
			 Total 29 186 81 
		
	
	The figures given in the table relate to England and Wales only. The transfer of prisoners to Scotland and to Northern Ireland is a devolved matter, and is therefore the responsibility of the relevant Minister.
	The numbers reported here are drawn from a Prison Service Case Tracking System. Care is taken when processing these cases but the figures may subject to inaccuracies associated with any recording system.

Prisoners: Repatriation

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how long on average a prisoner waiting to be returned to the UK under the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons has to wait to be removed from (a) the US and (b) European Union countries.

Jeremy Wright: The date on which a foreign jurisdiction notifies the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) that arrangements can be made for the collection of an individual following agreement for repatriation is not recorded on NOMS IT systems. In order to obtain the information required an examination of each of the individual case files for the 215 prisoners returned since 2007 would have to be made and a calculation made. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	NOMS is not routinely informed of the date on which a prisoner submits an application to the relevant authorities of a foreign jurisdiction to be transferred to England and Wales, and therefore cannot undertake a calculation on the length of time an application takes from submission through to conclusion.
	The transfer of prisoners from other countries to Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the relevant Minister.

Prisons: Finance

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding each prison will receive in the current financial year; and what funding is budgeted for 2013-14.

Jeremy Wright: The latest resource budget allocations for each public sector and private prison for the financial year 2012-13 is given in the following tables.
	
		
			 Public sector prison budgets 2012-13 
			 Establishment name £ million 
			 Askham Grange 3.234 
			 Aylesbury 11.814 
			 Bedford 10.757 
			 Belmarsh 38.251 
			 Blantyre House 2.850 
			 Blundeston 11.632 
			 Brinsford 14.382 
			 Bristol 13.788 
			 Brixton 18.042 
			 Buckley Hall 9.036 
			 Bullingdon 19.708 
			 Bullwood Hall 6.124 
			 Bure 11.812 
			 Canterbury 7.082 
			 Cardiff 15.907 
			 Channings Wood 14.307 
			 Chelmsford 16.327 
			 Coldingley 13.126 
			 Cookham Wood 9.476 
			 Dartmoor 14.964 
			 Deerbolt 13.196 
			 Dorchester 6.785 
			 Downview 9.454 
			 Drake Hall 7.314 
			 Durham 19.049 
			 East Sutton Park 2.591 
			 Eastwood Park 10.027 
			 Erlestoke and Shepton Mallet 15.699 
			 Everthorpe 12.503 
			 Exeter 11.678 
			 Featherstone 13.377 
			 Feltham 31.411 
			 Ford 8.057 
			 Foston Hall 8.079 
			 Frankland 37.343 
			 Full Sutton 27.810 
			 Garth 18.189 
			 Gartree 15.229 
			 Glen Parva 17.536 
			 Gloucester 8.089 
			 Grendon 9.325 
			 Guys Marsh 10.852 
			 Haverigg 12.939 
			 Hewell 23.320 
			 Highdown 22.001 
			 Highpoint 23.949 
			 Hindley 18.044 
			 HMP Kennet 9.671 
			 Hollesley Bay 6.947 
			 Holloway 16.805 
			 Holme House 22.038 
			 Hull 20.235 
			 Huntercombe 10.287 
			 Isis 15.906 
			 Isle of Wight 34.644 
			 Kingston 5.494 
			 Kirkham 10.393 
			 Kirklevington Grange 5.301 
			 Lancaster Farms 12.540 
			 Leeds 22.351 
			 Leicester 8.805 
			 Lewes 13.900 
			 Leyhill 9.356 
		
	
	
		
			 Lincoln 14.117 
			 Lindholme 10.988 
			 Littlehey 21.190 
			 Liverpool 23.517 
			 Long Lartin 28.024 
			 Low Newton 10.585 
			 Maidstone 10.555 
			 Manchester 34.736 
			 Moorland 31.077 
			 Mount (The) 15.295 
			 New Hall 14.381 
			 North Sea Camp 6.194 
			 Northallerton 6.054 
			 Northumberland 29.539 
			 Norwich 15.399 
			 Nottingham 21.642 
			 Onley 14.525 
			 Pentonville 26.737 
			 Portland 13.105 
			 Preston 17.388 
			 Ranby 19.423 
			 Reading 8.036 
			 Risley 18.610 
			 Rochester 15.784 
			 Send 8.162 
			 Sheppey Clustered Services 48.605 
			 Shrewsbury 7.941 
			 Springhill 4.855 
			 Stafford 13.608 
			 Stocken 16.249 
			 Stoke Heath 15.634 
			 Styal 13.235 
			 Sudbury 7.829 
			 Swansea 9.352 
			 Swinfen Hall 13.692 
			 Thorn Cross 7.535 
			 Usk 7.657 
			 Verne (The) 10.783 
			 Wakefield 27.322 
			 Wandsworth 30.146 
			 Warren Hill 10.033 
			 Wayland 16.265 
			 Wealstun 17.829 
			 Wellingborough 9.474 
			 Werrington 7.736 
			 Wetherby 16.704 
			 Whatton 16.110 
			 Whitemoor 29.133 
			 Winchester 13.076 
			 Woodhill 30.771 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 25.620 
			 Wymott 21.372 
		
	
	
		
			 Total 1,784.765 
			 Notes: 1. All figures in £ million and subject to rounding. 2. Figures are the current (as at October 2012) resource budget allocations for 2012-13 for public sector prisons. These are the local establishment budgets and do not include expenditure/income managed centrally at regional or national level. 3. Budget figures may be subject to change during the year to reflect operational business decisions. 4. Data for Elmley, Standford Hill and Swaleside prisons included under Isle of Sheppey Cluster. 5. Data for Blakenhurst and Hewell Grange prisons included under Hewell Cluster. 6. Data for Albany, Camp Hill and Parkhurst prisons included under Isle of Wight Cluster. 7. Edmunds Hill prison is clustered with Highpoint prison. 8. Castington prison is clustered with Acklington prison, and known as Northumberland. 9. Dover, Haslar and Morton Hall not included as they are immigration removal centres. 10. Figures are not directly comparable as a number of factors can cause differences between prison budgets such as size and security category, mix of prisoners (including gender and age), and internal regime and rehabilitation work provided. 
		
	
	
		
			 Private prison budgets 2012-13 
			 Establishment name £ million 
			 Altcourse 47.842 
			 Ashfield 28.057 
			 Bronzefield 29.269 
			 Doncaster 19.115 
			 Dovegate 40.340 
			 Forest Bank 36.832 
			 G4S Birmingham 30.372 
			 Lowdham Grange 28.279 
			 Oakwood 18.674 
			 Parc 60.666 
			 Peterborough 34.079 
			 Rye Hill 19.739 
			 Thameside 28.140 
			 Wolds 8.890 
			 Total 430.295 
			 Notes: 1. Figures subject to rounding. 2. Figures are the current resource budget allocations for 2012-13 for private prisons. 3. Budget figures may be subject to change during the year to reflect operational business decisions. 4. Ashfield and Parc figures include funds provided by the Youth Justice Board in respect of sentenced under-18 offenders. 5. Figures for contracted prisons are not directly comparable with public sector prisons because of differences in scope, type of prisoner and financing method. 
		
	
	The Department has not set prison budgets for 2013-14. Budgets will be set as part of the Department's regular annual budget allocation process. Allocations will be made on the basis of need and according to departmental priorities.

Prisons: Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full time equivalent staff of his Department are involved in the prison marketisation process.

Jeremy Wright: There are 15 staff in the dedicated programme team and a further 2.5 staff in the Procurement Group. These numbers will be supplemented as necessary by staff from other areas as the programme progresses through the remaining negotiations and then into contract mobilisation.

Prisons: Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  when officials in his Department sought approval from Ministers in his Department for the outcome of the recent marketisation of prisons process;
	(2)  when Ministers in his Department approved the outcome of the recent marketisation of prisons process.

Jeremy Wright: Officials provided advice to Ministers once the evaluation of the competition to manage the prisons had been completed. Once Ministers had considered this advice, the Secretary of State for Justice then made an announcement at the earliest opportunity.

Prisons: Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for further market testing of prisons up to 2015.

Jeremy Wright: As the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), set out in his written ministerial statement to the House on 8 November 2012, Official Report, column 44WS, we will apply to all public sector prisons a new benchmark for running prisons to maximise savings over the next two spending review periods. This involves retaining core custodial functions within the public sector, but delivering them at lower cost while providing ancillary and “through the gate” resettlement services through market competition. We have not ruled out further individual prison by prison competitions but if the public sector rises to the challenge to deliver the improvements and savings required from the new public sector benchmark we do not anticipate a need to launch further market tests for individual prisons in this Parliament.

Richard III

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Burnley Central of 25 October 2012, Official Report, column 997W, on Richard III, whether it is still the intention that should DNA show that the remains found in Leicester are that of Richard III, that they will be reinterred at Leicester Cathedral.

Helen Grant: This is a matter for the university of Leicester archaeologists who were granted the licence to exhume remains which may be those of Richard III. Should the remains be found to be those of Richard III, the archaeologists' current plan is to reinter in Leicester Cathedral.

Risley Prison

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to reduce the number of illegal drugs and mobile telephones being smuggled into HM Prison Risley; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: NOMS remains committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs and mobile phones within prisons and deploys a comprehensive range of security measures to do so.
	These measures include drug detection dogs, procedures to tackle visitors who seek to smuggle drugs and phones into prisons, and mobile phone detection technology. NOMS is also increasing the number of drug free wings in prisons, where increased security measures prevent access to drugs.
	The Government has given its full support to the Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Bill being taken forward by Sir Paul Beresford and Lord Laming, which will create clear statutory powers for HMP Risley and other institutions to employ signal denial technology to suppress the use of mobile phones being illegally used within prisons.
	HMP Risley has seen a significant decrease in the number of prisoners testing positive for drugs and the rate of positive random mandatory drug results has fallen from 11.5% in 2007-08 to 3.9% in 2011-12. Recently, the prison governor has introduced a drug recovery unit and has referred prisoners in possession of a mobile phone to the police, resulting in three recent convictions

Risley Prison

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many assaults on staff have taken place at HM Prison Risley in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: The number of assaults on staff at individual establishments can be found in Table 3.15 of the Safety in Custody Statistics. This can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/safety-in-custody
	For the last five years the number of assaults on staff at HMP Risley are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Assaults on staff at HMP Risley 2007 to 2011 
			  Number of assaults on staff 
			 2007 26 
			 2008 24 
			 2009 9 
			 2010 17 
			 2011 12

Risley Prison

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration he has given to the recent report of the Independent Monitoring Board on HM Prison Risley; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: I will be sending a full written response to the Chair of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) at Risley, addressing the concerns raised in the Board's Annual Report, as soon as the issues have been fully considered. I will forward you a copy of my reply in due course.

Sentencing

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for offences of (a) murder, (b) rape, (c) unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, (d) robbery, (e) burglary, (f) arson and criminal damage, (g) section 18 offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, (h) section 20 offences under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and (i) sexual assaults there have been in each year since 1997; what proportion of people convicted for such offences received a custodial sentence in each year since 1997; and what the average length of such sentences was in each year since 1997.

Jeremy Wright: The number of defendants found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with immediate custody rate and average custodial sentence length (months), for selected offences, in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2011, can be viewed in the following tables.
	
		
			 Defendants found guilty and sentenced at all courts, with immediate custody rate and average custodial sentence length (months) (1) , for selected offences, England and Wales, 1997 to 2011 (2, 3, 4, 5) 
			 Offence and outcome 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
			 Murder (7)         
			 Guilty (Number) 275 256 252 261 285 324 277 361 
			 Sentenced (Number) 275 256 252 261 285 324 277 361 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 275 256 252 261 282 324 277 361 
			 Custody rate (Percentage)(8) 100 100 100 100 99 100 100 100 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			          
			 Rape and attempted rape (9)         
			 Guilty (Number) 615 673 652 593 567 644 670 742 
			 Sentenced (Number) 614 673 649 591 566 644 670 742 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 599 654 627 572 547 628 651 713 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 98 97 97 97 97 98 97 96 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 79.1 79.9 80.4 83.4 81.8 84.2 86.8 85.1 
			          
			 Sexual intercourse with a minor (10)         
			 Guilty (Number) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 104 
			 Sentenced (Number) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 103 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 53 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 51 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23.6 
			          
			 Robbery (11)         
			 Guilty (Number) 5,589 5,542 5,626 5,891 6,822 7,711 7,303 7,481 
			 Sentenced (Number) 5,597 5,562 5,652 5,944 6,846 7,731 7,339 7,513 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 4,008 3,962 4,085 4,341 4,775 5,881 5,150 5,063 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 72 71 72 73 70 76 70 67 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 39.1 35.3 35.7 36.1 35.4 38.9 39.3 38.4 
			          
			 Burglary (12)         
			 Guilty (Number) 31,703 30,769 29,261 26,222 24,802 26,691 25,726 24,252 
			 Sentenced (Number) 31,656 31,087 29,329 26,694 24,655 26,376 25,360 24,133 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 14,338 14,547 14,345 13,677 12,476 13,350 11,820 10,814 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 45 47 49 51 51 51 47 45 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 15.8 15.5 15.7 15.9 16.6 17.5 17.1 17.5 
			          
			 Arson and criminal damage (13)         
			 Guilty (Number) 35,257 37,445 38,736 38,216 37,545 39,279 41,013 43,231 
			 Sentenced (Number) 35,140 37,127 38,512 38,057 37,351 39,059 40,828 43,028 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 1,699 1,805 2,008 1,979 1,987 1,954 2,006 2,157 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 13.4 10.7 10.2 9.9 10.2 10.6 10.5 10.4 
			          
			 Offences Against the Person Act 1861, S18         
			 Guilty (Number) 1,544 1,464 1,402 1,357 1,413 1,527 1,497 1,698 
		
	
	
		
			 Sentenced (Number) 1,550 1,471 1,409 1,361 1,418 1,525 1,496 1,697 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 1,359 1,317 1,275 1,235 1,279 1,369 1,361 1,542 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 88 90 90 91 90 90 91 91 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 44.1 43.9 45.8 45 48 46.5 50.3 48.6 
			  
			 Offences Against the Person Act 1861, S20 
			 Guilty (Number) 4,582 4,933 4,615 4,443 4,390 4,629 4,500 4,373 
			 Sentenced (Number) 4,562 4,966 4,666 4,511 4,424 4,655 4,487 4,363 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 2,208 2,467 2,298 2,346 2,411 2,427 2,253 2,296 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 48 50 49 52 54 52 50 53 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 15.3 15.1 15.5 15.6 16.1 17 17.7 17.7 
			          
			 Sexual assaults (14)         
			 Guilty (Number) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 233 
			 Sentenced (Number) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 223 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 79 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 35 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30.2 
		
	
	
		
			 Offence and outcome 2005 2006 2007 200 8 (6) 2009 2010 2011 
			 Murder (7)        
			 Guilty (Number) 394 372 369 439 376 346 343 
			 Sentenced (Number) 395 372 369 439 376 346 343 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 395 372 369 439 376 346 343 
			 Custody rate (Percentage)(8) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			         
			 Rape and attempted rape (9)        
			 Guilty (Number) 795 862 872 921 997 1,058 1,153 
			 Sentenced (Number) 794 862 871 918 999 1,058 1,153 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 746 803 821 865 941 984 1,098 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 94 93 94 94 94 93 95 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 81.8 81.2 85.4 90.3 95.7 97.2 102.5 
			         
			 Sexual intercourse with a minor (10)        
			 Guilty (Number) 579 825 826 904 944 1,069 1,051 
			 Sentenced (Number) 577 820 829 901 927 1,060 1,041 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 304 471 449 551 540 639 597 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 53 57 54 61 58 60 57 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 25.4 26 27.8 28.2 30.9 31.2 32.1 
			         
			 Robbery (11)        
			 Guilty (Number) 7,083 8,105 8,829 8,475 8,645 8,499 9,265 
			 Sentenced (Number) 7,139 8,169 8,862 8,495 8,664 8,514 9,271 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 4,407 4,802 4,772 5,095 5,155 4,946 5,561 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 62 59 54 60 59 58 60 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 35 32.3 31.3 32.5 33.6 34.5 35.6 
			         
			 Burglary (12)        
			 Guilty (Number) 22,951 22,955 23,821 23,882 22,983 23,909 25,103 
			 Sentenced (Number) 22,652 22,675 23,549 23,651 22,765 23,599 24,870 
		
	
	
		
			 Immediate custody (Number) 9,550 9,229 9,237 9,960 10,028 10,447 11,986 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 42 41 39 42 44 44 48 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 17.4 17.1 16.7 17.4 18.4 18.7 18.8 
			         
			 Arson and criminal damage (13)        
			 Guilty (Number) 42,813 42,890 44,620 42,901 41,037 40,192 36,965 
			 Sentenced (Number) 42,543 42,669 44,353 42,731 40,971 40,136 36,898 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 2,229 2,407 2,440 2,410 2,351 2,437 2,497 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 5 6 6 6 6 6 7 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 9.3 7.6 7.4 7.6 8.9 8.7 9.4 
			         
			 Offences Against the Person Act 1861, S18        
			 Guilty (Number) 1,664 1,553 1,733 1,661 1,676 1,737 1,779 
			 Sentenced (Number) 1,673 1,559 1,734 1,664 1,674 1,734 1,777 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 1,516 1,445 1,548 1,548 1,553 1,604 1,652 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 91 93 89 93 93 93 93 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 48.6 46.5 43.7 49.4 52.1 54.2 59.8 
			 
			 Offences Against the Person Act 1861, S20
			 Guilty (Number) 4,274 4,338 4,515 4,415 4,789 5,000 4,475 
			 Sentenced (Number) 4,265 4,371 4,547 4,409 4,768 4,975 4,454 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 2,199 2,140 2,184 2,224 2,594 2,487 2,428 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 52 49 48 50 54 50 55 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 18.1 18.5 18.8 18.1 18.2 18 19.4 
			 
			 Sexual assaults (14)
			 Guilty (Number) 1,273 1,565 1,647 1,718 1,711 2,003 2,098 
			 Sentenced (Number) 1,255 1,562 1,617 1,701 1,689 1,983 2,070 
			 Immediate custody (Number) 546 698 699 789 732 867 897 
			 Custody rate (Percentage) 44 45 43 46 43 44 43 
			 Average custodial sentence length (Months) 24.7 23.3 22.7 24.4 27.8 27.5 29.1 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (2) The Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force on 1 May 2004. (3) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (5) The number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty as it may be the case that a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown court, may be sentenced in the following year. (6) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (7) Murder has a mandatory life sentence. (8) The custody rate is calculated based on persons receiving a custodial sentence as a proportion of all persons sentenced at all courts in a given year for selected offences. (9) Offences under Sexual Offences Act 2003, s1 and s5. (10) Offences under Sexual Offences Act 2003, s8, 9, 11 and 12. (11) Offences under Theft Act 1968, s8. (12) Offences under Theft Act 1968, s9 and s10. (13) Offences under Criminal Damage Act 1971 s1-s3, Malicious Damage Act 1861 ss.35, 36, 47 and 48, Explosive Substances Act 1883 s2-s4, Offences against the Person Act 1861 s64 and Allotments Act 1922 s19. (14) Offences under Sexual Offences Act 2003, s2, 3, 6 and 7. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice.

Universal Credit

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit.

Damian Green: There are three distinct areas of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) that use qualifying benefits as an administrative marker to passport claimants to MOJ services. These are:
	Legal Aid
	Fees Remissions
	Assisted Prison Visits Scheme
	We are currently considering how to accommodate the introduction of universal credit in each of these areas.

Wandsworth Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proposed changes at HMP Wandsworth will be implemented following the 2011-12 annual report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Jeremy Wright: HM chief inspector of prisons' (HMCIP) annual report for 2011-12 was published on 17 October 2012. This report referred to findings from the unannounced prison inspection of HMP Wandsworth undertaken between 28 February and 4 March 2011. The chief inspector's report of this inspection was published on 10 August 2011. The report made a number of recommendations and the governor of Wandsworth prepared an action plan in response to each of the recommendations which was submitted to the chief inspector early this year.
	Since the inspection was undertaken in early 2011, Wandsworth prison has made significant progress in implementing the chief inspector's recommendations. The management team has been strengthened and measures have been taken, for example, to improve induction and first night provision, increase access to purposeful activity and improve provision of showering facilities and access to telephones. I will write to the right hon. Member separately to provide him with a more detailed update on progress with the recommendations.

Wandsworth Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what funding HMP Wandsworth received from the Government in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and what the budget for 2012-13 is.

Jeremy Wright: The figures in the following table show the direct resource outturn expenditure for HMP Wandsworth for financial years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 and the latest allocated resource budget for 2012-13.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  2009-10 (1) 2010-11 (1) 2011-12 (1) 2012-13 (2) 
			 HMP Wandsworth 36.151 32.524 34.059 30.146 
			 (1) Outturn (2) Budget Notes: 1. Figures are subject to rounding. 2. Figure for 2012-13 is the current (October 2012) direct resource budget allocated to the prison. 3. Figures are the local direct resource outturn expenditure published with the Management Information Addendum to the NOMS Annual Accounts and resource budget allocated to the prison. This does not include expenditure / income managed centrally at regional or national level. 4. Budget figures may be subject to change during the year to reflect operational business decisions. 5. The figures are not directly comparable between years due to a number of factors, including: i) The 2009-10 figure is restated to exclude Cost of Capital, which was included in the 2009-10 accounts but was no longer included in expenditure from 2010-11 onwards due to a change in accounting treatment. ii) The 2009-10 figure includes expenditure on non-clinical substance misuse, but the 2010-11 figure is restated to make it more comparable with the 2011-12 figure, by excluding this expenditure, as responsibility for this transferred to the Department of Health in 2011-12. iii) The budget for 2012-13 includes a withdrawal of funding of £2.2million due to the temporary closure of the Onslow Unit at the prison for refurbishment work.

Wandsworth Prison

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were in HMP Wandsworth on 1 April and 1 October in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

Jeremy Wright: Data are held centrally on the prison population on the last day of each month, so figures are not available for 1 April and 1 October of each year. Additionally, annual trends are typically compared using the 30 June figures for each year.
	The following table shows figures as at 31 March and 30 September of 2010, 2011 and 2012. Due to changes in the data collection, figures for September 2009 refer to the last Friday of the month.
	
		
			 Population in prison on specific dates at HMP Wandsworth 
			  Number of prisoners 
			 31 March 2009 1,664 
			 25 September 2009 1,654 
			 31 March 2010 1,631 
			 30 September 2010 1,625 
			 31 March 2011 1,632 
			 30 September 2011 1,680 
			 31 March 2012 1,232 
			 30 September 2012 1,193 
			 Note: Due to changes in data collection, the figures for September 2009 refer to the last Friday of the month. All other figures refer to the last day of the month. 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Work Capability Assessment

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of time was for an appeal to be heard in respect of employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many appeals were heard in that period.

Helen Grant: Appeals against decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions on an individual's entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) are heard by the First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).
	During the period 1 April to 30 June 2012 (the latest period for which data has been published) the average time taken from receipt of an ESA appeal by the SSCS Tribunal to disposal was. 19 weeks, down from 21 weeks at the end of March. Data are taken from management information and include appeals disposed of without the need for a tribunal hearing.
	A total of 52,300 employment and support appeals were disposed of by the Tribunal during the same period.
	HMCTS is working hard at a national level to increase the capacity of the SSCS Tribunal and reduce waiting times. It has implemented a range of measures which include recruiting more judges and medical panel members; increasing administrative resources and streamlining processes; securing additional hearing venues across the country; increasing the number of cases listed in each Tribunal session; running double shifts in its largest processing centre; running Saturday sittings in some of the busiest venues; and establishing a customer contact centre to deal with telephone inquiries.
	All of this is having a positive effect. The total number of disposals has increased significantly from 279,000 in 2009-10 to 380,000 in 2010-11, and 433,600 appeals in 2011-12 and the average waiting time has fallen nationally.

Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many written parliamentary questions to his Department received a substantive answer (a) within five working days, (b) between six and 10 working days and (c) after more than 10 working days in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of written parliamentary questions to his Department received holding responses in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jeremy Wright: From November 2011 to November 2012 the Ministry of Justice received 3,025 parliamentary questions. 2,554 were answered within five working days, 308 were answered between six and 10 days, and 163 were answered after 10 days.
	Out of the total number of parliamentary questions received, 684 were named day questions. 152 of these received holding responses.
	The Government has committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the current Session. Statistics relating to performance for the 2010-12 parliamentary Session are available on the Parliament website as follows:
	http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/procedure/P35_Memorandum_Leader_of_the_House_ Monitoring_PQs.pdf

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Agriculture: Education

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have graduated from an agricultural college in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

David Willetts: holding answer 13 November 2012
	The number of qualifiers from Agricultural Higher Education Institutions by subject of study in the academic years 2002/03 to 2010/11 will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Figures on qualifiers by subject of study in 2001/02 are not available on a comparable basis with later years.
	Information for the 2011/12 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2013.

Antidumping Duties

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will support the introduction of anti-dumping import duties.

Michael Fallon: The UK Government examines each anti-dumping case on its merits, based on evidence presented by the Commission and representations received from interested parties, including producers, importers, retailers and consumers.
	In the recent case against imports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware from China, which is of concern to the hon. Member, we considered the Commission proposal for provisional measures very carefully and took account of the views of a range of interested parties. After a full analysis, we decided to oppose the imposition of provisional measures.
	We will continue to engage with all interested parties as the investigation continues over the next six months.

Employment: Rural Areas

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the effect on rural communities of a lack of well-paid jobs; and what steps he is taking to promote such jobs in rural areas.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 13 November 2012
	I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	DEFRA, through the Rural Statistics Digest, regularly monitors outcomes for rural areas, and earnings in rural and urban areas, both workplace and resident-based, are included.
	The recently published Rural Statement sets out the Government's vision of successful rural businesses and thriving rural communities in a living, working countryside. This builds on the 2011 Rural Economy Growth Review that embedded rural interests within its overall strategy for growth. As a result, Rural Growth Network pilots have been established covering Cumbria, Swindon and Wiltshire, Durham and Northumberland, Devon and Somerset and Coventry and Warwickshire. These will support rural businesses to reach their full potential by breaking down barriers to economic growth, such as a shortage of work premises and slow internet connectivity, with lessons disseminated to support and encourage wider rural local enterprise partnerships in growing private sector jobs.

Engineering: Young People

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Bloodhound world land speed record team on the role of the project in encouraging young people to pursue careers in engineering; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: BIS Ministers have had ongoing discussions with representatives of the Bloodhound project over the last few years. The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), visited the Bloodhound stand at the Big Bang Fair in March last year and I have met Richard Noble to discuss the project, most recently in May 2012. I am sure that this inspiring project will encourage many young people to find out more about engineering.

EU Grants and Loans

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that grants made from the Regional Development Fund support his industrial policy.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 2 November 2012
	Bids for Regional Growth Fund funding were assessed against the criteria's set out in Local Growth White Paper—sustainable private sector growth, rebalancing the economy, additionality, value for money and state aid compliance. These criteria do not contain sector specific weightings but they align with the principles set out in "Industrial Strategy: UK Sector Analysis" (September 2012) and in particular the section on "Barriers to growth and scope for government action".

Export Credit Guarantees

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much he has spent on advertising and marketing for the Export Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 24 October 2012
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills incurred no direct expenditure in advertising the pilot Export Enterprise Finance Scheme, as this initiative was covered by the cross-government freeze on marketing. We did however work closely with the participating banks and business representative organisations to raise its awareness amongst small and medium-sized enterprises, including its promotion at a series of United Kingdom Trade & Investment hosted events across the country.

Further Education: West Midlands

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many further education colleges have received funding for either new buildings or refurbishments from his Department in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands in each financial year since 2008; and what funding he expects to allocate for each financial year up to 2015-16.

Matthew Hancock: The following table sets out the number of colleges in Birmingham and the West Midlands that have received capital funding for either new buildings or refurbishments from this Department since 2008.
	
		
			  Number of colleges 
			 Approval year (April to March) West Midlands Birmingham and Solihull 
			 2008-09 3 1 
			 2009-10 2 1 
			 2010-11 30 4 
			 2011-12 31 5 
			 2012-13 17 1 
		
	
	The further education capital budget is a national budget and is therefore not allocated at a local level.

Higher Education: Blackpool

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pupils in receipt of free school meals entered higher education in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency in the last two years for which figures are available.

David Willetts: The information requested is not available by parliamentary constituency. The estimated number of pupils from Blackpool local authority with free school meals who progressed to higher education by age 19 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Estimated number of pupils from maintained schools in Blackpool local authority with free school meals at age 15, who progressed to Higher Education by age 19, UK Higher Education Institutions and English Further Education Colleges 
			 Academic year Former FSM pupils in HE by age 19 (1) 
			 2008/09 45 
			 2009/10 40 
			 (1) Student numbers are rounded to the nearest 5. Source: Matched data from the DFE National Pupil Database, the HESA Student Record and the SFA ILR 
		
	
	Information on progression of pupils with free school meals to higher education is available from the BIS Widening Participation statistical release of August 2012.
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/analysis/statistics/higher-education/official-statistics-releases/widening-participation-in-higher-education/widening-participation-in-higher-education-2012

Kidneys: Diseases

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research his Department is undertaking to determine the causes of polycystic kidney disease.

David Willetts: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. It is an independent research funding body which receives its grant in aid from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	In 2011/12, the MRC spent £4.9 million on research relating to kidney disease. The MRC are currently supporting four programmes of underpinning research which aim to improve the understanding of polycystic kidney disease, enable earlier diagnosis and more successful transplantation following kidney failure.
	Current MRC-funded research relating to polycystic kidney disease includes the following programmes:
	Dr D Long, University College London, The role of podocyte thymosin-beta4 in the healthy and diseased glomerulus. (£484,000 for a three-year grant);
	Dr G McKay, Queen's University of Belfast, Retinal vascular calibre—a potential biomarker for early renal and retinal diseases? (£321,000 for a three-year grant);
	Professor J Davies, university of Edinburgh, functional testing of kidneys tissue-engineered from renogenic stem cells. (£365,000 for a three-year grant);
	Dr D Norris, MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit, Left right patterning. Further information can be found at:
	http://www.mrc.ac.uk/ResearchPortfolio/Grant/Record.htm?RecType=Unit&Agreementld=93114&Caseld=24689

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise's contribution of 16 October 2012 in oral evidence to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, Q107, how many full-time civil servants he plans will form the single contact point in Whitehall for the local enterprise partnerships; and what grade those civil servants will be.

Michael Fallon: A Senior Civil Servant at Director or Director General level is being allocated to each local enterprise partnership (LEP) as senior sponsor. These are drawn from Departments with significant local growth policy interests. Some individuals will have responsibility for more than one LEP. Acting as senior sponsor for LEPs will not be a full time responsibility. This will give LEPs a key point of contact to act as champion across Whitehall and ensure that place is factored in to policy making. The amount of time spent on the role will depend on the needs of the LEP. This will be in addition to the well established relationship management of LEPs by BIS Local and the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Manufacturing Industries: Tees Valley

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps UK Trade and Investment has taken to (a) promote and (b) encourage investment in manufacturing industries on Teesside.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 12 November 2012
	UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) works closely with the Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to bring new investment in manufacturing by foreign direct investors to Teesside.
	UKTI has a memorandum of understanding with the LEP. This enables the Tees Valley LEP to work closely with UKTI's team in London and across the globe, maximising the LEP's opportunity to attract potential investment internationally. UKTI also works with the local team to put in a bid for a project where Teesside has strong potential to win it.
	In addition, to strengthen further Teesside's offer to potential investors, UKTI works with the LEP to present in a compelling way detailed information on local strengths and capabilities to attract investors to Teesside.
	In 2011/12 UKTI supported 13 projects on Teesside, creating or safeguarding 2,170 jobs (although not all of these may have been in manufacturing). One such project was an investment by the Dutch firm Heerema, to engineer and fabricate large and complex structures for the offshore oil and gas sector. This investment created 290 new jobs in Hartlepool.
	In addition to UKTI, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is helping promote manufacturing on Teesside through the support the BIS Local teams provides to the LEP to help secure economic growth. Teesside has also benefitted from the Regional Growth Fund where it has been quite successful.

Nuclear Physics

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the Review of UK Nuclear Physics Research published by the Institute of Physics; and what steps he is taking to increase skills in nuclear physics.

David Willetts: holding answer 6 November 2012
	The Government recognises the importance of science and the significant contribution it makes to the UK economy and growth, as reflected in the protection of the science budget.
	The review recognises the excellence of UK nuclear physics research, which delivers a high volume of quality research.
	The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) will consider the conclusions in the review and the level of funding and future priority areas within nuclear physics as part of a review it is undertaking of its science programmes. The Government awaits with interest the outcome of this work.

Overseas Trade: Somalia

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the value was of UK (a) imports from and (b) exports to Somalia in each of the last five years.

Michael Fallon: The value of UK exports and imports of goods, to and from Somalia, in the last five years is given in the table. The data are sourced from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Overseas Trade Statistics database and are publicly available on the UK Trade Info website:
	www.uktradeinfo.com
	
		
			 £ million 
			  UK imports of goods from Somalia UK exports of goods to Somalia 
			 2011 0.01 4.41 
			 2010 0.02 1.87 
			 2009 0.03 1.15 
			 2008 0.04 1.38 
			 2007 0.18 0.87 
			 Source: HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employees of his Department are paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Jo Swinson: From a total of 2,580 employees, core BIS (excluding UKTI and Agencies) currently has 34 individuals who earn between £80,000 and £99,999 and 24 individuals who earn more than £100,000(1).
	(1 )Data is at 1 November 2012.

Regional Assistance

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what date a Minister of his Department last met European Commission officials to discuss the 2014-2020 Regional Aid Guidelines.

Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), discussed the Regional Aid Guidelines when he met with Commissioner Almunia on 14 May and will be doing so again at a meeting today.

Satellite Communications

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment has been made of the opportunities for growth in the UK space sector arising from expenditure on the European Space Agency (ESA) ARTES satellite telecommunications development programme to be proposed at the forthcoming ESA ministerial council meeting at Caserta.

David Willetts: In the preparation for the ministerial meeting officials have prepared a full business plan of the opportunities that will arise from any proposed investment at the ministerial. This analysis has been shared with HM Treasury. The analysis has been comprehensive and covered science, public policy, and economic growth issues. With respect to the European Space Agency (ESA) ARTES opportunities these have focussed primarily on supporting the growth agenda. A specific example is the development of the European Next Generation telecommunications satellite Platform (NGP). This is an investment that not only supports the prime contractors but also enables early engagement and development of the full supply chain, including new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to enter the market. The return on this programme could be worth up to £4.25 billion to UK companies between 2018 and 2030. Another possibility is the development of space-based economic services and applications using data from space integrated with other data sets, and investment in technologies that enable UK industry to develop innovative new products that maintain the UK's competitive industrial position.

South East

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps he has taken to increase the number of apprenticeships in the south-east.

Matthew Hancock: The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) is working closely with local businesses, local authorities, colleges, training providers and schools arranging events and providing material to promote apprenticeships in the south-east.
	In addition to these local efforts, we have introduced grants for smaller employers, boosted the efforts of the NAS to promote and market apprenticeships and are implementing the Holt review to boost demand from small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) employers.
	Provisional data for the full 2011/12 academic year (August 2011 to April 2012) show that there were 65,260 apprenticeship starts in the south-east region. Provisional data should not be compared against data from earlier academic years and will change as further data returns are received from further education colleges and providers.
	Final data for the 2010/11 academic year show that there were 58,340 apprenticeship starts in the south-east, up by 49.1% on 2009/10.

South East

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to promote private sector employment in the south-east.

Michael Fallon: The Plan for Growth, published alongside Budget 2011, set out the Government's plan to put the UK on a path to sustainable, long-term economic growth. We are creating the right conditions for businesses to start up, invest, grow and create jobs.
	The Government has a range of policies to support growth. For example, the Regional Growth Fund supports areas currently reliant on the public sector in their transition to sustainable private sector-led growth and prosperity. 19 awards have been made to projects and programmes in the south-east since the launch of the Regional Growth Fund which will help create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
	Four areas in the south-east have been chosen as locations for an enterprise zone. These are Science Vale (Oxfordshire), Daedalus (Solent), Royal Docks (London) and Harlow/Sandwich (South East). Enterprise zones are giving a real shot in the arm to the private sector through a combination of fiscal incentives and simplified planning to generate both businesses and jobs, helping to rebalance the economy and drive local and national growth.

South East

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps he has taken to encourage business start-ups in the South East; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: We want to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business, and for the next decade to be the most entrepreneurial and dynamic in Britain's history. That is why, in January, the Prime Minister launched “Business in You”, a major campaign to inspire people to realise their business ambitions and to highlight the range of support available for start-ups and growing businesses.
	We have introduced a range of measures that support start-ups and growing small and medium sized enterprise (SMEs) across the UK:
	Ensuring SMEs can access the support and advice they need to start and grow
	We have changed the way that we help people access the information, guidance and advice they need to start and grow a business. We have put in place a range of services including:
	www.gov.uk
	the new home for Government services and information online. www.gov.uk has been built to make it simpler and faster for people to find what they need from Government. To help those that cannot use internet services, we will continue to offer support through the Business Link helpline (on 0845 6009006).
	A mentoring portal
	www.mentorsme.co.uk
	providing an easy route to find experienced business mentors.
	A new three-year “GrowthAccelerator” programme which will provide high quality coaching support for up to 26,000 small businesses with high growth potential.
	Ensuring SMEs can access the finance they need
	In September, we announced a new Government-backed business bank, including new Government funding of £1 billion. It will aim to attract private sector funding so that, when fully operational, it could support up to £10 billion of new and additional business lending. More detail on the design of the bank and the types of interventions it will support will be provided later in the autumn.
	In July, the Government and Bank of England launched the funding for lending scheme (FLS), which allows banks and building societies to borrow at cheaper rates from the Bank of England for periods of up to four years. The FLS creates strong incentives for banks to increase lending to UK households and businesses by lowering interest rates and increasing access to credit.
	In May we launched a new £10 million start-up loan scheme aimed at 18 to 24-year-olds.
	We have increased the funds available to invest through the Business Finance Partnership (BFP) to £1.2 billion. Government will allocate £100 million of the BFP to invest through non-traditional lending channels that can reach smaller businesses.
	The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme will continue until 2014/15, providing, subject to demand, over £2 billion of additional lending.
	We have established a £50 million Business Angel Co-Investment Fund to encourage Business Angel investment.
	We are increasing our commitment to our Enterprise Capital Funds programme by £200 million, providing for more than £300 million of venture capital investment to address the equity gap for early stage innovative SMEs.
	Encouraging Entrepreneurship
	Unemployed people who want to start a business can apply for the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA), administered by the Department for Work and Pensions, which is available to people aged 18 and over. It provides access to business mentoring and offers financial support of around £2,000. By 2013 it is hoped that the NEA will have helped up to 40,000 unemployed people start up a business.
	Be the Boss is a £5 million scheme, administered by the Royal British Legion, to help ex-service personnel to set up and grow businesses by reducing the costs and barriers associated with self-employment and start-ups, including mentoring support.
	The Prime Minister has appointed Lord Young of Graffham to advise on small business and enterprise issues. A key message of Lord Young's work is that this is a great time to start a business, with record numbers of people becoming their own boss, supported by a wide range of help and encouragement to entrepreneurs from all ages and backgrounds.

South East

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department has provided to university and business research partnerships in the South East in the last 12 months.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides a range of support to encourage universities and businesses to work together. This includes funding from the Research Councils, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Technology Strategy Board.
	In Budget 2012, we provided £100 million for the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund, and announced a further £200 million in October. This will secure at least £1 billion investment in research facilities and collaborations between universities, businesses and charities. 14 projects, securing £220 million from the fund, have been announced involving universities across the UK. This includes £116.6 million for six projects in London and the south-east of England:
	a new collaborative international research centre to support the development of 5th generation cellular communications—more than £35 million partnership between the university of Surrey and many of the mobile communications global industry leaders;
	a new centre for targeted cancer research—£138 million partnership between the university of Oxford and a consortium including Synergy Health, Cancer Research UK, Roche Diagnostics, GE Healthcare and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust;
	a new Centre for Children's Rare Disease Research—an £85 million partnership between University College London and the Great Ormond Street hospital;
	a new National Research Centre for Structural Integrity—£60 million partnership between Brunel university, TWI and other companies;
	a research and translation hub—£150 million partnership between Imperial College London and Voreda at the Imperial West Technology Campus; and
	a new centre for drug target discovery and for research based on medical data sets—£32 million partnership of the university of Oxford and a consortium including UCB Pharma, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Boehringer Ingelheim and Takeda.
	HEFCE will announce a further call for the remaining £80 million funding for new and reworked proposals shortly.

Students: Loans

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many graduates had their student loan debt recovered by the Student Loans Company through EU Regulation 44/2001 in 2010-11.

David Willetts: holding answer 2 November 2012
	EU students were entitled to receive tuition fee loans from 2006/07, with the first full cohort due to start repaying in April 2010. As at 30 April 2010 there were 11,000 borrowers liable to repay, of which 6,100 became liable to repay in April 2010, and 1,000 had already repaid in full. It was still therefore very early in the process for the Student Loans Company (SLC) to take court action in 2010-11.
	However, during 2009, the SLC carried out a pilot litigation exercise, selecting nine borrowers to take to court. Two of those borrowers contacted the SLC before going to court, and provided the necessary details. Money was recovered from two of the remaining seven borrowers in financial year 2009-10, and from one borrower in financial year 2010-11.

Universal Credit

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are aware of the implications of the introduction of universal credit for the payment of staff.

Mark Hoban: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	DWP are working up a communication strategy for employers about the benefits that UC will bring to both employers and their employees. The Department has a programme of research to understand the employer perspective to inform this strategy. In addition DWP officials are in regular contact with HMRC, employers' representatives, payroll software providers and employers about the use of payroll data provided to HMRC in UC calculation and this will inform the communication with employers.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much Government funding has been allocated to private art projects in each year since 1997.

Edward Vaizey: Government funding for the arts is distributed by Arts Council England (ACE). Any of the following were eligible to apply for national portfolio funding:
	Limited companies registered at Companies House (including individuals trading as a limited company)
	Community interest companies registered with the CIC regulator
	Charities or trusts registered with the Charity Commission
	Limited liability partnerships registered at Companies House
	Partnerships established under a deed of partnership
	Industrial and provident societies or community benefit societies subject to regulation by the FSA
	Royal charter companies
	Statutory bodies
	The total of such funding is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Funding for regularly funded organisations (RFOs) Funding for national portfolio organisations (NPOs) 
			 2001-02 198,180,371 — 
			 2002-03 230,960,086 — 
			 2003-04 255,408,987 — 
			 2004-05 281,273,878 — 
			 2005-06 303,105,942 — 
			 2006-07 316,393,851 — 
			 2007-08 327,907,446 — 
			 2008-09 332,383,036 — 
			 2009-10 344,773,180 — 
			 2010-11 350,907,956 — 
			 2011-12 324,787,163 — 
			 2012-13 — 310,500.00 
		
	
	All NPOs, and previously RFOs, are funded through grant in aid. ACE also distributes national lottery funding to the arts. Lottery funding has not been included in the above figures.
	ACE do not hold national figures on arts funding in an accessible format before 2001. These figures are contained in the records inherited from the regional arts boards, but which are not all formulated in the same way, or available to be amalgamated into a national figure.

Arts

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the name is of each arts and cultural organisation funded or sponsored directly by her Department; how much funding each was paid from the public purse in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12; and how much each is expected to be paid in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

Edward Vaizey: The name of each arts and cultural organisation sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and the funding they have received, and are expected to receive, from DCMS, can be found in the following table.
	
		
			 Art/cultural organisation 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 Arts Council England(1, 2) 452,964 438,523 393,602 473,753 472,851 458,870 
			 Museums, Libraries & Archives Council(2) 4,015 15,218 12,237 6,714 — — 
			 Renaissance and other regional funds(2) 26,180 46,336 44,267 — — — 
			 English Heritage 131,072 129,854 113,653 97,970 93,670 91,584 
			 UK Film Council(3) 37,034 45,563 — — — — 
			 British Film Institute — — 33,589 19,152 22,689 22,756 
		
	
	
		
			 British Library 109,464 105,847 105,617 110,439 109,055 109,281 
			 Tate 55,987 54,729 45,105 34,912 25,037 33,441 
			 Natural History Museum 51,186 48,586 46,480 45,760 45,204 45,172 
			 British Museum 48,348 46,343 56,051 45,378 44,735 44,590 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 44,761 44,318 41,355 40,705 40,203 40,167 
			 Science Museum Group(4) 40,608 40,153 37,588 43,610 43,089 43,064 
			 National Gallery 27,287 28,201 26,744 26,320 25,980 25,911 
			 Imperial War Museum 24,163 23,910 21,961 21,436 21,239 21,273 
			 National Museums Liverpool 23,463 23,712 21,875 21,561 21,323 21,327 
			 National Heritage Memorial Fund 20,000 — — 5,000 10,000 5,000 
			 National Maritime Museum 19,240 19,002 17,258 16,848 16,693 16,723 
			 Royal Household for maintenance of the occupied Royal Palaces(5) 16,107 15,624 15,414 470 464 472 
			 Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment(6) 13,463 16,127 5,515 — — — 
			 Royal Armouries 8,474 8,389 7,901 7,773 7,673 7,662 
			 National Portrait Gallery 7,744 7,577 7,398 7,277 7,183 7,172 
			 Public Lending Right 7,582 7,451 7,206 7,084 6,977 6,956 
			 Cutty Sark Trust — — 5,000 — — — 
			 Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester (MOSI)(7) 4,987 4,882 3,998 — — — 
			 Horniman Museum 4,566 4,518 4,385 4,199 4,139 4,127 
			 Wallace Collection 4,301 4,212 2,983 2,946 2,918 2,922 
			 Churches Conservation Trust 3,162 3,067 2,926 2,828 2,743 2,695 
			 National Coal Mining Museum for England(4) 2,805 2,794 2,707 — — — 
			 Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums(1) 2,399 2,848 1,918 — — — 
			 DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund 2,329 2,954 — 2,000 — 2,000 
			 Geffrye Museum 1,791 1,773 1,674 1,645 1,621 1,616 
			 Royal Naval College Greenwich 1,500 1,455 1,388 1,342 1,301 1,278 
			 Sir John Soane's Museum 1,181 1,169 1,130 1,111 1,096 1,094 
			 Chatham Historic Dockyard 850 291 278 268 260 256 
			 Design Museum 425 437 828 257 202 163 
			 People's History Museum 373 151 168 164 162 162 
			 National Football Museum(7) 105 105 — — — — 
			 (1 )From 2012-13, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums have been funded by Arts Council England. (2 )Responsibility for museums and libraries passed from the Museums, Libraries & Archives Council (MLA) on 1 October 2011. MLA is currently in voluntary liquidation. (3 )The UK Film Council closed in June 2011, and remaining responsibilities transferred to BFI. (4 )The Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester (MOSI) merged with the Science Museum Group in January 2012. From April 2012, the National Coal Mining Museum for England has received an annual grant from the Science Museum Group. (5 )Responsibility for all bodies within the Royal Household transferred to HM Treasury in April 2012, apart from Marlborough House which remains with DCMS. (6 )CABE closed in January 2012. (7 )DCMS ceased providing funding for the National Football Museum from 2011-12.

Arts Council England

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the restructuring of Arts Council England announced on 30 October 2012 on the arts (a) in general and (b) in each region of England;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the restructuring of Arts Council England announced on 30 October 2012 on (a) dance organisations, (b) theatre organisations, (c) visual arts organisations, (d) museums, (e) libraries and archives and (f) music organisations in (i) London and (ii) each other region of England.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 8 November 2012
	Arts Council England (ACE) is an independent public body that has its own governance and management structures in place. It is for the Arts Council to ensure that delivering the reductions in administrative costs is done in a way which is not detrimental to the arts in England, in any region. In difficult financial circumstances, reducing administrative costs means that ACE can protect frontline organisations, in all the sectors it funds, and in all regions in England. The Department is assured that ACE will maintain a functional organisation that serves the culture sector and delivers against its strategy set out in ‘Achieving Great Art for Everyone’.

Gun Sports

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to encourage and support people presently involved and interested in being involved in shooting sports disciplines.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England funds national governing bodies to sustain and grow participation in their sports, and provides additional support to help them achieve this. In 2009-13, Sport England invested £750,000 into shooting sports, via British Shooting, and they are currently in the process of determining investment levels for 2013-17.
	Investment from British Shooting into the three main participation discipline governing bodies, has helped to develop the sport, namely:
	Via the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, a development officer has been employed who has supported the development of more local events (county leagues), as well as supporting clubs and grounds to develop.
	Via the National Rifle Association, a significant number of new range officers are being trained to ensure ranges can be made available more often.
	Via the National Small-Bore Rifle Association, a number of local development officers are supporting clubs in key regions, to develop and provide more opportunities.
	Furthermore, British Shooting is also developing disability shooting provision and increasing the number of events and opportunities for disabled people to take part in shooting. In addition, the physical legacy from the London 2012 Olympics is currently being determined, as British Shooting is working with the Government Olympic Executive to tender for the use of the enclosures. This process is well under way.

International Broadcasting

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessments have been conducted by Ofcom in relation to international broadcasting in the last three years.

Edward Vaizey: Ofcom conducts an annual review of the international broadcasting market. Reports covering the last three years can be found at:
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-reports/icmr09/
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/cmr/753567/icmr/ICMR_2010.pdf
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/cmr/cmr11/icmr/ICMR2011.pdf
	In 2012, Ofcom published the PSB annual report, providing information on the provision of international content by UK public service broadcasters. A summary of this report can be found at:
	http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/reviews-investigations/psb-review/psb2012/section-b.pdf

Internet: Gillingham

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of (a) people and (b) households in Gillingham and Rainham constituency who do not have access to the internet.

Edward Vaizey: Tables 4A and 4B of the Office for National Statistics release “Internet Access Quarterly Update, 2012 Q2” included the figure that 41,000 adults (aged 16 or over) in the Medway council area had never used the internet, corresponding to 20.1% of the total. Further details are available at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access-quarterly-update/2012-q2/index.html

Leisure: Surveys

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the cost of the Taking Part survey was in each year since its introduction.

Hugh Robertson: The following table sets out how much the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has spent on the Taking Part survey in each completed year since its introduction. These figures are net of any recoverable VAT (and include contributions from Sport England, Arts Council England and English Heritage).
	The cost of the survey has varied over different years according to the measurement needs and strategy used. Initially a larger sample was used but was reduced after the first three years. 2009-10 was an interim year with a smaller sample and shorter survey to provide headline results between the more detailed surveys of 2008-09 and 2010-11.
	
		
			 Survey year Final costs (main survey, including pilots and other development work) (£) 
			 2005-06 Y1 2,627,088 
			 2006-07 Y2 2,572,595 
			 2007-08 Y3 3,121,211 
			 2008-09 Y4 1,719,650 
			 2009-10 Y5 381,310 
			 2010-11 Y6 1,986,536 
			 April-June 2011 Y6(1) 217,933 
			 2011-12 Y7 1,046,241 
			 (1) Y6 extension—The Year 6 extension was an interim payment to continue the survey in Year 7 (2011-12) while the new contract was being finalised for the period 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many employees of her Department are paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Hugh Robertson: The number of employees in the Department who are currently paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,00 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number 
			 In excess of £80,000 7 
			 In excess of £100,000 1

Social Networking: Advertising

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the case for better regulations relating to the marketing of high fat, sugar or salt foods to children through social media.

Edward Vaizey: No recent assessment has been made. The rules on advertising content standards are the responsibility of the independent regulators—the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). It is for those regulators to assess the sort of material that is appropriate for different audiences.
	The ASA continues to conduct monitoring and research on a range of advertising issues as part of its responsibility for ensuring that the advertising codes continue to provide suitable consumer protection.

Social Networking: Advertising

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from parents for stronger regulations and restrictions in respect of the marketing of high fat, sugar or salt foods to children through social media.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), regularly receives correspondence on a range of issues relating to marketing and advertising. The Department does not record whether or not these are from parents.
	The rules on advertising content standards are the responsibility of the independent regulators—the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). It is for those regulators to assess the sort of material that is appropriate for different audiences. The ASA continues to conduct monitoring and research on a range of advertising issues as part of its responsibility for ensuring that the advertising codes continue to provide suitable consumer protection.

Sports: Public Participation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps the Government is taking to encourage young people to be involved in competitive sport.

Hugh Robertson: The School games, an Olympic and Paralympic style competition, is giving every school and child in England the opportunity to participate in competitive sport, including meaningful opportunities for disabled children. In addition, the Prime Minister announced in August that competitive sport in primary schools will be made compulsory.
	As part of the wider Youth and Community Sports Strategy, which has a particular focus on increasing participation in sport among 14 to 25-year-olds, £450 million will be invested by national governing bodies of sport. Their whole sport plans are required to deliver an increase in participation as part of a new ‘payment-by-results’ process.
	Also in the strategy is a new £45 million improvement fund which will be targeted at medium-sized facilities development projects (such as artificial pitches and changing rooms). This will complement the existing ‘iconic’ and ‘inspired’ funds, which, as part of the £150 million Places, People, Play legacy programme, will ensure that the development of a wide range of community facilities continues across the country, providing young people with the necessary places to take part in competitive sport.

Universal Credit

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which she is responsible will change under universal credit.

Hugh Robertson: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not set any conditions by which people should qualify for passported benefits. However, the Department for Work and Pensions is leading in the Government's work to ensure that universal credit is introduced in a way that works smoothly with all passported benefits, while ensuring that these benefits continue to be available to the families that need them most.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress he has made on setting up producer organisations; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his £50 million fund for that purpose; and for what reason he decided to concentrate on producer organisations rather than co-operatives.

David Heath: We are moving through the clearance processes towards public consultation on the domestic implementation of the EU dairy package. We still intend to launch the consultation this year and implement as early as possible in spring 2013.
	The £5 million (not £50 million) fund is not for the purpose of setting-up producer organisations, nor are co-operatives outside of its scope. This fund will be open to applications from any farmer or group(s) of farmers to develop co-operation activities where the central objective is to enable dairy farmers to explore and develop new market opportunities and improve competitiveness, and may be used to support capital infrastructure projects if applicable. DEFRA has worked with the dairy industry in developing the objectives for this fund.

Air Pollution

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many air quality management areas there are.

Richard Benyon: 255 local authorities have declared air quality management areas (AQMAs) across the UK. There are 600 AGMAs in total.

Animals: Exports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the remit of the review on live exports is.

David Heath: I assume the question refers to the review, which I requested, of events on 12 September at Ramsgate. It included an examination of the following:
	the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency's (AHVLA) handling of this incident;
	the AHVLA's procedures for managing inspections at Ramsgate port and how they should work alongside other bodies and organisations present at the port during inspection activity;
	the contingency arrangements for premises and the availability of vehicles, both those required of the industry and any that the AHVLA may need as the regulator;
	clearly identifying and reiterating the responsibilities of the exporter and transporter for ensuring that their own contingency plans are realistic and can be relied upon in an emergency;
	the procedures for the issuing of journey logs and the measures needed to ensure that any changes to the details of the approved journey log are communicated to the AHVLA before any sailing;
	the arrangements for welfare checks prior to loading; and
	how the AHVLA identifies high risk operators and communicates intelligence throughout the regulatory and enforcement chain.
	In addition, I asked the AHVLA to look at options for introducing a maximum period of time in which a transporter can take action to introduce his own contingency arrangements before the AHVLA introduces its own plans. The AHVLA will also produce a new regulatory statement, so that all transporters and organisations with a presence at any GB port handling live exports for slaughter, will know what to expect in the event of such emergency situations arising again in the future.

Animals: Exports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions there have been for animal welfare exploitation within the live export trade in each of the last five years.

David Heath: A company called Agneaux Bv Onderwater pleaded guilty at Folkestone magistrates court on 5 July 2010 to six offences of not clearly or visibly displaying any mark on its vehicles indicating the presence of live animals in contravention of article 6(c) of The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 and article 6.3 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005. The prosecution was brought by the Trading Standards Department of Kent county council. (Fuller details can be found in Hansard on 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 73WS.)
	Because it is a tightly regulated trade, there have been no other prosecutions for animal welfare offences in relation to those involved in the export trade of animals for slaughter or production since live exports commenced from Dover in late 2010. There have been criminal investigations conducted by the Trading Standards Department of Kent county council which did not result in a prosecution. Additionally, there have been a number of technical infringements of the legislation referred to above, all of which have involved transporters authorised in other member states. Under the EU legislation, DEFRA is required to notify such infringements to the relevant competent authority in the country granting the authorisation. It is the responsibility of the competent authority in that country to take proportionate enforcement action against the transporter.

Ash Dieback Disease

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the COBRA meeting of 2 November 2012 on Chalara fraxinea, what steps he is taking to limit the spread of the disease; what practical advice his Department has given to landowners; and what his policy is on the payment of compensation to growers and others affected by Chalara fraxinea.

David Heath: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently introduced a ban on ash imports and movements from infected areas in response to the outcome of a rapid consultation on a pest risk assessment on this issue and the results of surveillance to date. Plant health authorities stepped up the response and re-deployed additional inspection capability with over 500 people per day carrying out a rapid survey during the first week of November to give a picture of where “Chalara” is present across GB. They are also continuing to inspect material traced forward from the infected nurseries and to monitor ash trees in the wider environment in the vicinity of infected sites.
	On 7 November the Government brought together scientists, campaigners, charitable groups and woodland agencies to discuss what action should be taken to address the disease. The Secretary of State set out an immediate plan of action that was agreed on Friday 9 November at the COBR meeting. Over the coming weeks the Government will work with scientific experts and other interested groups to further develop and implement the measures in the plan, and to set a longer term approach to tackling “Chalara”.
	Newly-planted diseased trees and diseased trees in nurseries will be traced and destroyed, as once young trees are infected they succumb quickly.
	Mature trees will not currently be removed, as they are valuable to wildlife, take longer to die and can help us learn more about genetic strains that might be resistant to the disease. Infection does not occur directly from tree to tree.
	Better understanding of the disease will be built through research and surveys, which will look not only for diseased trees but for those that show signs of genetic resistance to “Chalara”, to help identify genetic strains resistant to the disease.
	The search for the disease will include trees in towns and cities as well as the countryside, building partnerships with a range of organisations beyond Government.
	Foresters, land managers, environment groups and the general public will be informed about how to identify diseased trees and those likely to be resistant to the disease, and know what to do if they find a diseased tree.
	Advice to landowners and anyone with ash trees is set out on the Forestry Commission website, which is regularly updated and includes a question and answer section, a symptoms video, pictorial guide and a “Chalara” helpline number and e-mail address.
	With regard to compensation, at a time when our trees face increasing threat from a range of harmful diseases and when we are seeking to maintain tight controls on spending and reduce the deficit, it is our view that resources are best spent on surveillance and other preventative disease management activities to limit the potential damage from ash dieback and other diseases.

Ash Dieback Disease

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department wrote to local authorities to warn them of ash dieback disease.

David Heath: holding answer 13 November 2012
	A pest alert on the situation regarding ‘Chalara fraxinea’ was posted on the Forestry Commission website on 16 May. Senior officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Local Government Association have been regularly updated on progress in managing the disease and attended meetings of COBR on 2 and 9 November.

Ash Dieback Disease

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date his Department first notified the Scottish Government about the discovery of Chalara fraxinea.

David Heath: The devolved Administrations were informed by the Forestry Commission and the Food and Environment Research Agency about the first UK finding of Chalara fraxinea disease at a meeting on 22 March 2012.

Ash Dieback Disease

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in which locations cases of ash dieback have been discovered.

David Heath: The Forestry Commission website is being regularly updated with the latest information on the spread of the disease. A map (Map 2b) detailing “Chalara fraxinea” confirmed infection sites can be viewed at:
	http://www.forestry.gov.uk/chalara

Beaches: Saltburn

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the reasons why Saltburn failed to reach the mandatory minimum standard for quality of bathing water.

Richard Benyon: Saltburn has met European bathing water requirements for eight of the last 10 years. The Environment Agency has assessed that Saltburn failed to meet the requirements in 2012 due to the exceptionally wet weather, with this summer being the wettest recorded for over 100 years. The high rainfall has increased run-off from land spread with farm waste and has increased storm sewage overflows. This has raised bacteria levels in the bathing water, thus causing the failure to reach the mandatory minimum standards. The situation is not unique to Saltburn, as the exceptional weather has affected many other bathing waters around the UK this year.

Beaches: Saltburn

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions (a) he, (b) his Ministerial colleagues, (c) his Department and (d) the Environment Agency have had with (i) Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and (ii) Northumbrian Water on the quality of bathing water at Saltburn.

Richard Benyon: Neither the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, nor myself as the Minister responsible for this policy area, or officials at DEFRA have had any discussions recently regarding bathing water quality at Saltburn.
	In 2011, the Environment Agency established a working group with Northumbrian Water Ltd and Redcar and Cleveland borough council to address bathing water quality at Saltburn. The group meets regularly to share knowledge of the catchment, so helping to identify and reduce pollution from the sewerage system, agricultural run off and other sources. Northumbrian Water Ltd is carrying out a study into the impact of its sewerage systems, and a report is expected early in 2013 to inform any solutions required. The Environment Agency has an ongoing agricultural campaign in the catchment to promote best farming practices and to reduce pollution from agricultural run-off.
	Northumbrian Water carried out major improvements to the sewerage system in the 1990s, as this was the main source of pollution at that time. The sources of the current pollution are generally smaller and often discharge intermittently which makes them difficult to trace. In normal weather conditions these sources are unlikely to cause bathing water problems. The Environment Agency believes the investigations and actions currently being undertaken will give the best possible chance of meeting bathing water directive requirements at Saltburn well into the future.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by (a) farmers and (b) his Department in preparation for this year's previously planned cull of badgers.

David Heath: A note on Bovine Tuberculosis and Badger Control, outlining, the cost to Government to date of the preparations for the two planned badger control pilots, will be deposited shortly in the Libraries of both Houses. DEFRA does not hold estimates of the costs incurred by farmers.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of farms in potential badger cull licence areas are inspected by Natural England to ensure that they are operating biosecurity arrangements to the level required by the licence conditions; and what level his Department considers to be adequate.

David Heath: Natural England has visited 10% of farms in each pilot area. The guidance to Natural England states that applicants for culling licences must meet the criterion:
	Reasonable bio-security measures are being, and for the duration of any licence will continue to be, implemented by participating farmers on their land. For this purpose "reasonable measures" means measures that in the particular circumstances are practicable, proportionate and appropriate.
	There are common sense, precautionary measures that can be taken to help protect herds from possible TB infection from both badgers and cattle. These include:
	keeping badgers away from stored cattle feed;
	making the farmyard less attractive to badgers;
	being aware of main badger latrines and active setts at pasture;
	keeping cattle away from neighbouring cattle herds; and
	protecting the herd.
	More detailed information on bio-security advice is available on DEFRA's website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animal-diseases/a-z/bovine-tb/animal-keepers/biosecurity/

Catering

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on refreshments since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA spent £90,937 on refreshments in the period May 2010 to October 2012.

Cider

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with West Country cider makers on the potential effect of minimum alcohol pricing on their industry;
	(2)  what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with West Country cider makers about the potential effect of minimum alcohol pricing on farm-gate sales of real cider;
	(3)  what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department had with cider makers about the possibility of (i) exemptions and (ii) concessions for cider makers from any minimum alcohol price regime.

Richard Benyon: Neither the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), nor any other of my colleagues has held discussions on the issues you mention. The Government will be consulting shortly on its Alcohol Strategy, which encompasses minimum unit pricing. Stakeholders will then have the opportunity to express their views.
	DEFRA officials are investigating what impact minimum unit pricing will have on cider producers, along with all other sectors of the alcoholic drinks industry.

Common Land

George Freeman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many town and village green applications were made in the last year; what proportion were successful; what the average length of time taken was to process an application; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is responsible for collecting this information and does so on a biennial basis. The last survey was conducted in September 2011 so no data are held on activity between November 2011 and 2012. However the data from years 2009, 2010 and 2011 (until September) are provided in the following table. The figures are estimates based on the actual figures provided by local authorities (23% return rate), which were extrapolated.
	
		
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 Number of applications submitted 194 134 103 
			 Number granted 25 38 27 
		
	
	
		
			 Average number of months taken to process applications 9 11 16

Floods: Insurance

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his Oral Answer of 25 October 2012, Official Report, columns 1056-7, on flood insurance, what further progress he has made on flood insurance negotiations with the insurance industry.

Richard Benyon: As the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), said in his oral answer of 25 October 2012, Official Report, columns 1056-7, the availability and affordability of insurance in flood risk areas is an important issue for this Government.
	We remain committed to agreeing a new approach with the insurance industry and others about what will follow when the Statement of Principles agreement expires in June next year. Ministers are continuing to have constructive discussions with the Association of British Insurers as well as other interested parties. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of such meetings. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Floods: Insurance

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many full time equivalent officials of his Department worked on flood insurance in each year from 2007 to date.

Richard Benyon: There are currently 28 full-time equivalent officials in the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Team in core DEFRA. The team includes policy responsibility for flood insurance as well as other issues such as oversight of the floods investment programme, emergency preparedness and response, and implementing the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
	The number of officials working on flood insurance varies over time as we continually keep staffing on policy areas under review to ensure adequate resourcing in line with ministerial priorities. We do not hold records of the number of officials working on this issue for past years.

Gangmasters Licensing Authority

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under what budget headings reductions on expenditure have been made by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority since 2010.

David Heath: The following table provides a breakdown into Admin and Programme headings:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Grant in aid (Admin) Enforcement (Programme) Total 
			 2010-11 1.4 2.6 4.0 
			 2011-12 1.6 2.6 4.2 
			 2012-13 1.4 2.6 4.0 
			 2013-14 1.4 2.6 4.0 
			 2014-15 1.3 2.6 3.9

Himalayan Balsam

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to combat the spread of Himalayan balsam.

Richard Benyon: Himalayan balsam is listed on schedule 9 and subject to section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to plant, or cause this species to grow, in the wild.
	Through water framework directive funding, the Government is assisting with the setting up of local action groups throughout England to manage Himalayan balsam and other invasive species on the ground at a local level.
	We are also supporting research into finding a highly specific natural biological control agent to help control Himalayan balsam. Early findings are encouraging and, if successful, an agent would check the plant's spread and vigour, and render it easier to manage, although it would not eradicate Himalayan balsam.

Livestock: Exports

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will consider implementing a ban on live animal exports.

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to end the export of live animals from the UK.

David Heath: While the Government would prefer a trade in meat and germ plasm to a trade in live animals, it cannot ban a legal trade. This has been demonstrated in the courts (both here and in Brussels) on a number of occasions during the 1990s. A key High Court judgment was that of Lord Justice Simon Brown in the 1995 joined cases of R v. Dover Harbour Board (ex parte Gilder), R v. Associated British Ports ex parte Plymouth City Council and the European Court of Justice case C - 1/96 R v. MAFF ex parte CIWF.

Livestock: Exports

Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures he is considering implementing to improve the welfare standards of animals exported live from the UK.

David Heath: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), which is responsible for implementation of the EU rules on the protection of animals during transport (Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005), has taken a number of recent measures, including an increase in the inspection of animals and vehicles at the point of loading.
	The checks at the point of loading, undertaken by AHVLA inspectors, include consignment details, transporter/driver details, journey details and a separate checklist of 33 questions on the suitability of the vehicle and the welfare of the animals being transported. Any non-compliance is recorded and the necessary action taken by AHVLA inspectors.

Livestock: Transport

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent the unnecessary suffering of livestock during transport.

David Heath: Rules on the welfare of animals during transport are set out in EU legislation (Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005). Under this legislation no person shall transport or cause animals to be transported in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering to them. In Great Britain, the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency is responsible for implementing this legislation. They will refer any serious infringement of the EU legislation to the relevant local authority for investigation with a view to prosecution.

Livestock: Transport

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to encourage the slaughter of animals on site in order to prevent the unnecessary suffering of livestock transported live across the UK.

David Heath: The Government would prefer animals to be slaughtered as close as practicable to their point of production; a trade in meat and meat products is preferable to the long distance transport of animals to slaughter. Any trade in the live export of animals must meet the relevant legal requirements in terms of their welfare during transport (Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005). Any breaches of this legislation will be followed up by the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratory Agency (AHVLA). This may result in them taking their own regulatory action against the transporter or, in the case of transporters authorised in another member state, notification of the breach to the relevant competent authority for follow-up action. In serious cases, whether the transporter is authorised here or abroad, AHVLA will notify the local authority so that they can investigate the incident with a view to prosecution.

Marine Conservation Zones

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to put in place interim measures to prevent any potential damage to conservation features in the proposed marine conservation zones before those zones are designated.

Richard Benyon: The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 sets out the provisions and responsibilities in relation to the protection of marine conservation zones (MCZs). Section 125 of the Act places a duty on public authorities to exercise their functions in a manner that best furthers (or least hinders) the conservation objective of MCZs. Under section 132 of the Act, the Marine Management Organisation has powers to introduce interim byelaws for the purposes of protecting any feature where there are or may be reasons for the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), to consider whether to designate the area as an MCZ, and there is an urgent need to protect the feature.

Marine Conservation Zones

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that the forthcoming designation of the marine conservation zone network in English waters is compliant with international requirements to deliver an ecologically coherent network.

Richard Benyon: The Government will begin a consultation on the designation of marine conservation zones (MCZs) shortly. MCZs, along with other conservation sites will contribute to the network of protected areas in the UK marine area required by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. In forming this network the Government and devolved Administrations are working together to ensure that the UK meets its international commitments regarding an ecologically coherent network.

Marine Conservation Zones

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with wildfowling agents on how they will continue their sporting activities in proposals for the marine conservation zones.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA will shortly be launching a three month public consultation on marine conservation zones. This will be the opportunity for the public to review, comment and feedback to Government on the proposed designation decisions before they are finalised. DEFRA officials have discussed the issues with the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and we expect to engage with key stakeholder groups, including wildfowlers, during the consultation.

Nappies: Waste Disposal

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to include (a) measures to reduce disposable nappy waste going to landfill and (b) opportunities to reduce waste through reusable nappies in the forthcoming Waste Prevention Programme; when he plans to publish the Waste Prevention Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Government do not take a specific policy position on nappy waste. However, landfill should be the last resort for biodegradable waste and the landfill tax remains the key driver to divert waste from landfill.
	The UK also has EU landfill directive targets to meet to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste that goes to landfill. We met the 2010 target and are on course to meet the 2013 one.
	There are interventions under way to divert disposable nappies from landfill; for example, last year the first nappy recycling facility opened in the west midlands. Early next year we will launch a ‘Call for Evidence’ to inform the Waste Prevention Programme for England and we will publish the programme by the end of that year. In developing it, we will consider which product categories and waste streams represent key areas for action for reducing waste generation.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit after March 2013.

Richard Benyon: The Government take the matter of wildlife crime very seriously and very much appreciate the contribution the work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) has made in tackling wildlife crime. Decisions on NWCU funding beyond 2012-13 will be taken as soon as possible.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit after 2012, with specific reference to tackling cross-border crimes.

Richard Benyon: The Government takes the matter of wildlife crime very seriously and works closely with the Scottish Government on these matters. Both Governments appreciate the contribution made by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) including in supporting action to tackle cross-border crimes. Decisions on the NWCU beyond March 2013 will be taken as soon as possible by all the parties concerned.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Gordon Birtwistle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department regarding the future of the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Richard Benyon: The Government take the matter of wildlife crime very seriously and appreciate the contribution made by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) in tackling these crimes. We are working closely with the Home Office and all the parties concerned and decisions on the NWCU beyond March 2013 will be taken as soon as possible.

Nature Conservation

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) Natural England, (b) the Marine Management Organisation and (c) the Joint Nature Conservation Committee has spent in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and what each is forecast to spend in (A) 2012-13, (B) 2013-14 and (C) 2014-15.

Richard Benyon: The information requested is as follows.
	Natural England
	Natural England's expenditure is funded largely by GIA provided through DEFRA. In addition to expenditure spent through GIA, Natural England are the main delivery body for the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). The costs associated with delivering the RDPE are included within our expenditure but the funding provided to agreement holders is accounted for by DEFRA.
	The following table includes Natural England's GIA expenditure and the value of the RDPE delivered to agreement holders.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Actual Budget Projected 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 Grant in aid (GIA) 204.0 194.2 172.1 162.6 153.1 
			 Other non GIA funding 17.6 19.3 21.9 24.6 23.5 
			 Capital funding 3.0 4.2 5.0 0 0 
			 NE expenditure/funding 224.6 217.7 199.0 187.2 176.6 
			       
			 RDPE 405 415 467.7 451.9 451.9 
			 Total expenditure/funding 629.6 632.7 666.7 639.1 628.5 
			 Notes: 1. DEFRA confirms Capital Expenditure on an annual basis and the 2013-14 and 2014-15 budgets have not yet been agreed. 2. The 2010-11 and 2011-12 figures are taken from Natural England's Annual Report and Accounts. 3. The 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 projections are taken from Natural England's Corporate Plan 2012-15, with the addition of Capital Expenditure for 2012-13 which is taken from current allocations. DEFRA confirms Capital Expenditure on an annual basis and the 2013-14 and 2014-15 budgets have not yet been agreed. 4. RDPE figures for 2012-13 and beyond are based on current understanding of likely transitional arrangements for the ending of the programme. 
		
	
	Marine Management Organisation
	The following table sets out Marine Management Organisation spend in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and forecast spend in 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Actual Budget Projected 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 MMO grant in aid/net expenditure 29.1 30.7 31.1 29.7 26.5 
			 Notes: 1. The 2010-11 and 2011-12 figures are taken from the MMO's Annual Report and Accounts. 2. The 2012-13 figures are taken from operational forecasts as at the end of September 2012. 3. The 2013-14 and 2014-15 figures are taken from the MMO's Corporate Plan 2012-15. 
		
	
	JNCC
	The expenditure for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee is given in the following table:
	
		
			 £000 
			  Actual Budget Projected 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 
			 Grant in aid 9,455 9,349 9,739 10,466 10,092 
			 Income from other sources 1,210 1,371 1,071 647 569 
			 Gross Expenditure 10,665 10,720 10,810 11,113 10,661 
			 Notes: 1. Grant in aid includes funds provided by DEFRA and the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 2. Expenditure in 2010-11 and 2011-12 is taken from JNCC's annual report and accounts. 3. Projected expenditure for 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 is taken from the JNCC Business Plan 2012-13 and Forward Look 2013-15 4. Grant in aid figures for 2013-14 and 2014-15 include provision for funds (amounts not yet agreed) that will be provided directly to the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) by DEFRA rather than being received as grant in aid by JNCC.

Plants: Disease Control

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he has considered introducing quarantine measures for soil samples to prevent plant pathogen diseases.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 13 November 2012
	The import of soil from most countries outside Europe is banned under the EU Plant Health Directive (2000/29/EC), with the exception of some countries in the Mediterranean basin. Commission Directive 2008/61/EC provides the possibility for material to be imported under licence for trial or scientific purposes. The UK is working with other member states to address the risks presented by soil movements within the EU.

Ragwort

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to eradicate ragwort.

David Heath: It is not the Government's policy to eradicate ragwort. Where it poses no threat to horses and other livestock, ragwort makes an important contribution to the biodiversity of the countryside, supporting many species of wildlife and providing an important habitat for a wide range of invertebrates. Notwithstanding this, where it does pose a threat we are committed to working with land owners and occupiers to ensure reasonable action is taken. When necessary we will use our statutory powers under the Weeds Act 1959. These powers allow us to serve an enforcement notice requiring action to be taken. We also have the power to arrange for the clearance of the plant and to recover the cost from the land occupier, should such action be warranted.

Sick Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2012, Official Report, columns 647-48W, on sick leave, what assessment he has made of the difference in proportion of working days lost due to ill health between officers at AA grade and SCS grade; and what assessment he has made of the use of mindfulness-based therapies in reducing the proportion of working days lost in his Department.

Richard Benyon: Absence levels in core DEFRA are kept under review by management and action taken either on a departmental basis or by individual units, where appropriate, including action to improve health and well-being.
	No assessment has been made of the use of mindfulness-based therapies in reducing the proportion of working days lost in core DEFRA.

Sky Lanterns

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2012, Official Report, column 1081W, on sky lanterns, whether he has yet determined the level of resources that will be allocated; what recent policy developments there have been on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The independent study which DEFRA is commissioning to examine the scale of the risks associated with the use of sky lanterns, and their impact on livestock, plants and the environment, is due to be completed by 31 March 2013. The project is currently going through our procurement processes, and at this stage, I am unable to confirm the exact level of resources that will be allocated to it.
	The results of this study will help to determine whether any future Government action may be required.

Trees: Diseases

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which tree species are likely to be affected by Phytophthora pathogens; and what steps he is taking to prevent further epidemics affecting trees.

David Heath: Phytophthora species are a large group of pathogens that cause diseases in a wide range of plants, including many species of tree. While over 100 species have been described, some of these are damaging to plants rather than always fatal. There are likely to be many more and many species are present in the UK.
	There are a number of long-established Phytophthora root diseases that commonly affect many broadleaves and certain conifers like yew and cypresses. Other newly established Phytophthora diseases are more specific to certain species like alder, Lawson cypress and native juniper. “Phytophthora kernoviae” has been found to cause damage to some tree species, including beech and pedunculate or 'English' oak. “Phytophthora ramorum” has caused major damage to larch trees and given favourable circumstances can affect a range of tree species, including oak, beech, sweet chestnut and Douglas fir.
	The five-year, DEFRA-funded, Phytophthora Management Programme implemented by the Food and Environment Research Agency and the Forestry Commission was launched in April 2009 and addresses the risks from “Phytophthora ramorum” and “Phytophthora kernoviae”.
	The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs recently announced the establishment of an expert taskforce to review our strategic approach to plant health and to prevent pests and diseases from entering the country. We are also urgently bringing forward those actions in the Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity Action Plan particularly aimed at keeping out serious pests and pathogens not currently present in the UK.

Water

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what projections his Department has made of the demand for water in each water company area in each year from 2012 to 2020;
	(2)  what the demand for water was in each water company area in each year from 2008 to 2012.

Richard Benyon: The total consumption for water in 2008 to 2012 has been broken down for each water company in the following table (table 1). The data have been taken from individual water companies’ Water Resources Management Plan Annual Review.
	The projected consumption figures for 2012 to 2020 have been taken from individual water companies’ final Water Resources Management Plan. The trend in the total consumption figures does not appear to show much variation and even though per capita consumption is decreasing, population continues to increase. The consumption figure is the sum of household and non-household consumption.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 Data type and units: Actual data (MI/d) 
			 Water company 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Anglian Water 925 918 904 923 921 
			 Sembcorp Bournemouth Water 83 84 83 86 83 
			 Bristol Water 227 225 222 224 219 
			 Cambridge Water 59 60 61 62 62 
			 Cholderton Water 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dee Valley Water 55 54 55 56 54 
			 Dwr Cymru Welsh Water 617 615 604 610 620 
			 Essex and Suffolk Water 382 375 375 379 372 
			 Veolia Water South East 36 36 34 33 33 
			 Northumbrian Water 540 517 522 531 527 
			 Portsmouth Water 145 144 148 147 143 
			 Severn Trent Water 1,370 1,332 1,303 1,326 1,324 
			 South East Water 430 443 449 456 443 
			 South Staffs Water 243 231 232 227 224 
			 South West Water 328 316 316 321 311 
			 Southern Water 468 458 453 473 455 
			 Sutton and East Surrey Water 127 128 133 137 134 
			 Veolia Water East 24 25 25 24 24 
			 Thames Water 1,816 1,834 1,867 1,876 1,872 
			 Veolia Water Three Valleys 685 676 673 673 662 
			 United Utilities 1,353 1,323 1,300 1,293 1,262 
			 Wessex Water 273 267 264 262 259 
			 Yorkshire Water 948 934 953 951 928 
			 Total consumption in MI/d for England and Wales 11,561 11,436 10,973 11,070 10,931 
		
	
	
		
			 Data type and units: Forecast data (MI/d) 
			 Water company 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 
			 Anglian Water 933 937 958 964 969 995 997 1003 1006 
			 Sembcorp Bournemouth Water 95 95 95 94 94 94 93 93 93 
			 Bristol Water 235 234 235 235 236 237 238 239 240 
			 Cambridge Water 66 66 67 67 68 68 69 70 70 
			 Cholderton Water 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dee Valley Water 56 56 56 56 57 57 57 57 57 
			 Dwr Cymru Welsh Water 630 626 622 618 615 613 612 610 609 
			 Essex and Suffolk Water 382 381 380 379 378 378 377 377 376 
			 Veolia Water South East 35 34 34 33 33 33 32 32 31 
			 Northumbrian Water 541 541 540 540 540 541 541 541 543 
			 Portsmouth Water 151 152 151 152 152 153 153 153 153 
			 Severn Trent Water 1,368 1,363 1,358 1,354 1,350 1,349 1,348 1,348 1,348 
			 South East Water 460 462 464 467 469 472 474 476 480 
			 South Staffs Water 243 242 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 
			 South West Water 330 328 327 320 319 319 319 320 321 
			 Southern Water 490 483 479 478 479 480 481 483 485 
			 Sutton and East Surrey Water 147 148 148 148 148 148 148 148 148 
			 Veolia Water East 25 25 24 24 24 24 24 25 25 
			 Thames Water 1,828 1,828 1,830 1,833 1,840 1,817 1,824 1,831 1,837 
			 Veolia Water Three Valleys 691 690 689 687 685 683 682 681 680 
			 United Utilities 1,365 1,360 1,357 1,352 1,350 1,349 1,349 1,350 1,351 
			 Wessex Water 280 280 280 280 280 279 279 279 279 
			 Yorkshire Water 1,002 995 989 984 979 975 972 970 969 
			 Total consumption in MI/d for England and Wales 11,355 11,326 11,324 11,309 11,309 11,309 11,318 11,333 11,348

Water Charges

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of households that will spend more than (a) three per cent and (b) five per cent of their disposable income on household water bills in each year between 2012 and 2016;
	(2)  what proportion of households spent more than (a) three per cent and (b) five per cent of their disposable income on household water bills in each year between 2007 and 2011.

Richard Benyon: In 2010, Ofwat reported that 23% of households in England and Wales spent more than 3% of their disposable income on water and sewerage bills; 11% spent more than 5%. This was published in Ofwat's ‘Affordability and Debt 2009-10—Current Evidence’ report, which can be found online at:
	http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/future/customers/metering/affordability/pap_tec201105affevid.pdf
	For 2007-08, 22% of households were spending more than 3% of income, and 10% of households were spending more than 5%. These figures are from ‘Ofwat's Analysis of Family Resource Survey, 2007-2009’, and were not published.
	Every five years Ofwat sets price limits for the water and sewerage companies at its price review. The most recent, in 2009, set price limits for 2010-15. The next price review will take place in 2014, and Ofwat will publish its methodology for setting price caps post-2014. All companies have a charges scheme, which must be approved by Ofwat on an annual basis. Therefore, data for future years are unavailable.
	While water and sewerage services are relatively cheap and good value, costing on average £1 per day, some households struggle to pay their water bill, either because they are on a low income or because they live in an area where bills are higher than average.
	The Government wants everybody to have access to an affordable water supply. We have published guidance to companies on the introduction of social tariffs, which enable water companies to offer more support to customers at risk of affordability problems. Companies will need to work closely with their customers in designing social tariffs so that they reflect local circumstances and local views. Companies will be able to introduce social tariffs from April 2013.

PRIME MINISTER

Middle East

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister with which Governments he specifically raised concerns over human rights violations in states they govern during his recent visit to the middle east; and in each case what response he received.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy) on 13 November 2012, Official Report, column 143.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many staff working for the Equality and Human Rights Commission are employed through off-payroll arrangements; and how many such staff were recruited in each year since 2007.

Helen Grant: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an arm's length body. The following is based on information it has provided.
	(i) At 14 November 2012, the EHRC had 16 individuals employed through off-payroll arrangements. All 16 are working either on time limited projects to support the EHRC’s Change Programme, or filling business critical posts.
	In line with the Government's clear aim to improve the value for taxpayers' money delivered by the EHRC, the EHRC continues to reduce its use of interim staff. This has already delivered a significant reduction year on year, which will reduce further once the current change programme is completed.
	(ii) The following table provides the number of individuals recruited since 2007 and employed through off-payroll arrangements:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of individuals (1) 
			 2007-08 16 
			 2008-09 78 
			 2009-10 116 
			 2010-11 17 
			 2011-12 2 
			 2012-13 (to 14 November 2012) 9 
			 (1) Where an individual's contract has been renewed, that individual is included only in the period during which they first took up post. 
		
	
	The table above excludes support workers (for example, those providing support to a disabled staff member) where the EHRC funds less than 50% of the total cost.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Fire Services

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the oral answer of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 12 November 2012, Official Report, column 15, on metropolitan fire services, how the figure of 0.5 per cent was calculated; and where it is published.

Brandon Lewis: Overall fire and rescue authorities have a reduction in their estimated revenue spending power of 0.5% in 2012-13. Information on the spending power calculations for 2011-12 and 2012-13, which includes data and definitions, are available on our website at:
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/1112/grant.htm

Affordable Housing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the use of sustainable materials for future affordable housing; and which such materials are under consideration for such use.

Don Foster: The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes. Where the building of new affordable housing has been funded by the Homes and Communities Agency, these homes are required to be built to Code Level 3. The code covers the use of sustainable materials and awards points which contribute to an overall rating according to the Building Research Establishment Green Guide to Specification.

Affordable Housing: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much affordable housing has been built in Havering in each of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: Statistics on additional affordable housing provided in each local authority are published in the Department's live tables 1006, 1007 and 1008, which are available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/affordablehousingsupply/livetables/
	These figures include both newly built housing, which accounts for around 85% of additional affordable housing over the last five years, and acquisitions from the private sector.
	From the 1 April 2012, the Mayor of London has had strategic oversight of housing, regeneration and economic development in London.

Bookmakers

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the increase in the number of bookmakers on local communities.

Nicholas Boles: My Department has made no specific assessment of the number of betting shops by locality. Gambling policy is the responsibility of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Gambling Commission.
	In relation to the cumulative impact of development and the planning system, I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 29 October 2012, Official Report, column 47W.

Broadband

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made on Nottinghamshire county council's application for a grant from his Department towards business broadband connectivity in eligible parts of the county; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Nottinghamshire county council submitted a European regional development fund priority axis 2 application in eligible parts of Nottinghamshire. However, the East Midlands operational programme currently does not allow broadband infrastructure investment. The DCLG East Midlands programme delivery team and East Midlands councils have been working jointly on a rationale to implement a technical change to the operational programme to allow broadband investment across all of Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands under priority axis 1. This change request will be submitted to the European Commission in November.
	The programme delivery team has spoken to Nottinghamshire county council about submitting an eligible broadband outline application under priority axis 1 before the call for activity closes on 30 November 2012.

Broadband

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the availability of European regional development fund funds for business broadband connectivity purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: I strongly support the use of European regional development fund for the roll-out of broadband for small and medium enterprises.
	As announced in November 2011’s national infrastructure plan, this Government has taken the initiative of using the current European regional development fund programme to support actively the roll-out of superfast broadband in areas which do not have wide broadband coverage. Broadband was not a priority under the last Administration.
	Eight of the 10 2007-13 operational programmes in England have either already approved projects supporting broadband or are putting themselves in a position to do so. The use of the European regional development fund to support the roll-out of superfast broadband has been implemented in eight of the 10 English operational programmes. The two exceptions, London and the south-east, already have wide broadband coverage so they do not consider it a priority to use the fund for this purpose.

Broadband

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the extension of eligibility for grants from his Department for the purposes of business broadband connectivity to Gedling borough council; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Under the last Administration, broadband investment was not considered a key priority for the European regional development programme. By contrast, as announced in November 2011’s national infrastructure plan, this Government has taken the initiative of using the current programme to support actively the roll-out of superfast broadband.
	The East Midlands Local Monitoring Committee has confirmed support for European regional development fund investment in local broadband infrastructure through its Operational Programme. The East Midlands Councils Programme and Delivery Team have been working jointly on a rationale to implement a technical change to the Operational Programme to allow European regional development fund broadband investment across all of Nottinghamshire and the east midlands. Gedling borough council would be eligible for support once the European Commission approves the change to the East Midlands Operational Programme.

Council Tax

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of whether there is any reason why local authorities should not collect council tax by 12 equal payments per year rather than 10.

Brandon Lewis: In its “Technical Reforms to Council Tax—Summary of Responses Report” published on 28 May 2012, the Government confirmed that from 1 April 2013 council taxpayers will have the right to pay their bills in 12 monthly instalments. This will provide council taxpayers' with greater flexibility to manage their finances and may be particularly helpful to those on low or fixed incomes, such as pensioners.
	We will be taking steps to highlight these new rights for taxpayers in due course.

Family Intervention Projects

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers of oversight and direction the Government has over the Troubled Families programmes operated by local authorities.

Brandon Lewis: In March 2012 the Government published the financial framework for the Troubled Families programme. This set out the criteria that local authorities should use in identifying families eligible for central funding, and what results they would need to achieve in order to claim the results-based payment. All top tier local authorities voluntarily signed up to the programme by June 2012.

Family Intervention Projects

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2012, Official Report, column 654W, on children: protection, by what date he expects to have developed plans to evaluate the Troubled Families programme.

Brandon Lewis: We have worked closely with local authorities and other Government Departments to develop our evaluation plans and expect to commission an external evaluation through open market competition before the end of the year.

Family Intervention Projects

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Troubled Families co-ordinators there are in each local authority area.

Brandon Lewis: As part of signing up to the Troubled Families programme, all top-tier authorities in England except the Isles of Scilly agreed to appoint a co-ordinator to run the programme locally. There is a named person performing this role and in contact with my Department in every local authority area. Troubled Families co-ordinators have a strategic role in local authorities to plan, develop and co-ordinate services for troubled families and lever in resources from other organisations.

Government Procurement Card

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the Homes and Community Agency's Government Procurement Card transaction data, including value, date, merchant and merchant type for each item of expenditure incurred since the agency's inception.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 3 September 2012
	A breakdown of expenditure by the Homes and Communities Agency using Government Procurement Cards since its establishment in December 2008 up to September 2012 has been placed in the Library of the House. (Data covering the period between 1 December 2008 and 31 March 2010 was provided in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Andrew Griffiths) on 6 July 2011, Official Report , column 1232W.)
	I note that the agency's card spending has been reducing from £2,251,595 in 2009-10 to £840,169 for the full year (2011-12), This historic spending data shows there is clear scope to save taxpayers' money by reducing wasteful spending, and it reinforces Ministers' view on the need for greater transparency and tougher checks on spending on government charge cards.

Homelessness: Plymouth

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the number of homeless young people in Plymouth in each year since 2007. [R]

Mark Prisk: The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Homeless young people in Plymouth 
			   (b) Homelessness acceptances for priority need categories relating to young people 
			  (a) Homelessness acceptances with applicant aged 16 to 24 (i) Applicant 16 or 17 years old (ii) Applicant formerly in care and 18 to 20 years old 
			 2007 146 32 2 
			 2008 180 48 7 
			 2009 138 28 1 
			 2010 118 11 2 
			 2011 82 5 4 
			 Q1 and Q2 2012 37 0 5 
			 Total 701 124 21 
			 Note: Figures from category (a) above cannot be added to those from category (b) to give an overall total because they are the results of breaking down the same total number of homelessness acceptances in two different ways. Source: P1E returns from local authorities. 
		
	
	A robust homelessness safety net remains in place for young homeless people. Local authorities have a statutory duty to house 16 and 17-year-olds, care leavers under the age of 21, and people over 21 who are vulnerable as a result of being in care.
	The Ministerial Working Group on Homelessness published their second report in August 2012, which stresses the importance of supporting vulnerable young people to make a successful transition to adulthood. It champions a model of a ‘positive youth accommodation pathway' for those who cannot stay within the family network or are leaving care. The report can be obtained from the Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-every-contact-count-a-joint-approach-to-preventing-homelessness
	We secured an additional £70 million last year to help local agencies prevent and tackle rough sleeping and single homelessness. This is on top of the £400 million we are investing for homelessness prevention over four years (2011-12 to 2014-15) which includes £10.8 million to help single people access private rented sector accommodation.

Housing: Construction

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the decision was reached that the group reviewing building standards will comprise a membership of four.

Don Foster: I would draw a distinction between the Housing Standards Review group which will be led by my Department, and by the separate Independent Challenge Panel which will feed their comments as a 'critical friend' into the Housing Standard Review.
	The Standards Review is also being assisted by a broader group of external partners, as outlined in the public terms of reference. More information is outlined in the press notice available on my Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/newsroom/22249851
	The members of the Independent Challenge Panel were selected to provide a balanced range of viewpoints, and comprise an independent and experienced set of professionals to provide an external perspective, made up of an architect, a building control professional, a developer and a planner. The size of the panel allows it to work in a fast and flexible way.

Housing: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people are waiting for housing in the London borough of Havering.

Mark Prisk: The number of households on local authority waiting lists for each local authority is published in the Department's live tables 600, which is available at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/lahousing201011
	Through the Localism Act, we have given back to councils the freedom to manage their own waiting lists. They are now able to decide who should qualify for social housing in their area, and to develop solutions which make best use of finite social housing stock.

Leasehold Valuation Tribunal

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he last met people connected with improving the operation of the law relating to leaseholder disputes and access to the Leaseholder Valuation Tribunal.

Mark Prisk: Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations can be found online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments %5B%5D=department-for-communities-and-local-government&publication_type=transparency-data
	I look forward to meeting shortly with my hon. Friend and individuals from the sector to discuss residential leasehold.

Local Government

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will not implement the proposals in Lord Heseltine’s report to allow local enterprise partnerships to become unitary authorities.

Brandon Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 5 November 2012, Official Report, column 473W.

Local Government

Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if he will take steps to protect the historic and ancient county of Somerset from any encroachment by its neighbours as part of any response by his Department to Lord Heseltine’s report;
	(2)  if he will ensure the county of Avon is not recreated in any form as part of his response to Lord Heseltine’s report.

Brandon Lewis: As the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), informed the House on 12 November 2012, Official Report, columns 7-9, we are opposed to any imposition on local authorities of costly reorganisations, nor are we in the business of imposing boundary changes, whoever might be seeking them, on the councils concerned.
	England’s counties continue to form an important part of our cultural and local identity in this country and people remain deeply attached to their home county. The historic English counties are one of the oldest forms of local government in western Europe, and Somerset itself dates back to both Anglo-Saxon and Norman times. This sense of pride and shared identity is one of the things that binds communities, and indeed our nation, together. Last year, my Department flew the Somerset flag alongside the Union flag to show our support for the county.

Members: Correspondence

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he intends to reply to the letter of 30 August 2012 from Wychavon district council on the implication for local decision making of government planning policies, a copy of which was sent to him by the hon. Member for Mid Worcestershire on 2 September 2012.

Nicholas Boles: A reply was sent to Wychavon district council on 14 November.
	The response was delayed because it raised a number of important and relatively complex issues.

Non-domestic Rates

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to introduce regulations to give effect to the provisions of the Business Rate Supplement Act 2009 which allow for landlord contributions to business improvement districts in areas where a business rate supplement is being levied.

Brandon Lewis: Business improvement districts are an important tool for growth and this is already recognised by landlords who are voluntarily contributing to individual projects. In our response to the Portas review we committed to explore with industry experts how a formal property owner business improvement district scheme may be delivered within the provisions of the Act. Further to that work we are now aiming to issue a consultation paper on how a scheme may work early next year.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many employees of his Department are paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000.

Brandon Lewis: As at 31 October 2012, the Department for Communities and Local Government had 28 staff being paid in excess of £80,000. Of these, 14 staff are being paid in excess of £100,000. All of the above staff are senior civil servants, the total number of staff in the Department being 1,722.
	Details of senior salaries in the Department are published on the Department's website at the following address:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/senior-dclg-employee-salaries

Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's answer to Question 65 of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee's evidence session on 15 October 2012, what discussions (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with developers that led them to conclude that developers do not apply for costs for risk of jeopardising their relationship with local authorities.

Nicholas Boles: Details of Ministers' meetings with external organisations can be found online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/dclg-ministerial-data
	The rationale for Clause 2 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill can be found in the Impact Assessment to the Bill, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
	The broad policy objective is to support development by encouraging all parties in the planning process to behave reasonably; for example by refusing applications only where there are sound reasons to do so; pursuing appeals only where there are good arguments why the council's decision should be overturned; and providing adequate information and/or evidence in line with appeal deadlines.

Planning Permission

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authority in England had the largest number of major planning applications in respect of which a decision was made after 13 weeks in the 12 months to June 2012.

Nicholas Boles: The authority with the highest number of major planning applications in respect of which a decision was made after 13 weeks in the 12 months to June 2012 was Cornwall, which decided 85 of its 175 major decisions in more than 13 weeks. This excludes planning performance agreements.
	However, this absolute figure is a reflection of the size of the local planning authority, as Cornwall is the third largest local authority in England. What is more important is the proportion of major planning applications which are determined after longer than 13 weeks, not the absolute number.

Research

Chris Kelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what external policy research his Department has commissioned in each of the last six years; which organisation was commissioned to provide each such piece of research; and what the cost of each such piece of research was.

Brandon Lewis: The information can be accurately collated only at disproportionate costs.
	Notwithstanding, published research reports can be found on my Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/researchand statistics/research1/
	This includes a significant amount of research commissioned by the last administration that was otherwise unpublished, but which this Government have published in the interests of transparency.

Universal Credit

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit.

Brandon Lewis: The administration of passported benefits is the responsibility of a number of Government Departments and the devolved Administrations. We are currently working across Government to ensure that we introduce universal credit in a way that works smoothly with all passported benefits while ensuring that these benefits continue to be available to the families that need them most.
	We will announce our eligibility criteria in due course.

EDUCATION

Academies

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Church of England can be a sponsor for a school transitioning to academy status.

Elizabeth Truss: Church of England dioceses are able to sponsor academies, as are other faith organisations. All potential sponsors are subject to an assessment of their capacity and capability before they are approved to sponsor an academy. The assessment includes:
	The educational aims and objectives of the organisation;
	Their understanding of the role of an academy sponsor as a leader, accountable for sustainable improvement;
	Evidence of their capacity and capability to deliver their aims and objectives, including any previous experience of working with an underperforming school/schools
	The track record of success in their sector.

Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to publish findings and recommendations from the task and finish groups on (a) data sharing around children's residential homes and (b) out of area placements, commissioned to report at the end of September.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 8 November 2012
	The Expert Data Group has been considering how to safeguard looked after children who go missing, or are at risk of going missing, by developing improved local and national data collection arrangements, and strengthening practice among carers, children's homes, local authorities and the police. Chaired by the Department, the group includes representatives from the Association of Directors of Children's Services, police organisations, The Children's Society and Ofsted. It has met frequently since July and is in the final stages of its work.
	The Out of Area Placements Task and Finish Group has been focusing on how to improve arrangements, and the quality of care and support, for looked after children placed ‘out of area' by their local authorities. Chaired by the Department, the group has comprised senior expert representation from children's services, local authorities, providers, Ofsted and others. The Task and Finish Group has met frequently since July. We will consider the proposals from both groups and announce the actions we intend to take in due course.
	Work is also under way to fulfil Ministers' commitment to change regulations to allow Ofsted to share information about the location of children's homes with the police and other relevant bodies in their areas. Sharing this information is key to ensuring children in care are properly protected. We intend to run a formal consultation on amended regulations later in the autumn.

Children: Custody

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to publish draft clauses relating to changes to shared parenting to be proposed in the forthcoming Children Bill.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 29 October 2012
	The Government published clauses which aim to promote shared parenting on the Department for Education website on Monday 5 November. A copy of the clauses and explanatory notes has been placed in the House Libraries.

Children: Malnutrition

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of undernourishment among children attending school; and what steps he is taking to maximise the availability of free school breakfasts to children affected by undernourishment.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 12 November 2012
	The Department has made no assessment of the prevalence of undernourishment among children attending school.
	I understand the importance of children having a healthy breakfast, but if is for schools to decide what, if any, extended services to provide. Many schools already provide breakfast clubs, which parents and pupils can choose to use if they wish.
	The requirements on the provision of free school meals only apply to food served at lunchtime. Although we have no plans to extend provision to food served outside of the school day, at breakfast clubs for example, local authorities and schools do have the freedom to provide additional free meals.

Children's Play

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of changes in the level of spending on children's play and recreation services by local authorities since May 2010.

David Laws: Provision of children's play and recreation services is a matter for local government. While the coalition Government recognises how important it is that children have safe, free and local places to play, we do not monitor local play provision or collect information on local levels of spending.

Class Sizes

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the teacher-pupil ratio was in (a) England, (b) the west midlands and (c) Birmingham in each of the last five years.

David Laws: The following table provides the publicly funded pupil-teacher ratios in England, the west midlands region and Birmingham local authority in January 2006 to 2009 and November 2010 and 2011.
	
		
			 Local authority maintained (1)  pupil-teacher ratios (2, 3) , January 2006 to 2009 and November 2010 to 2011, England, west midlands region and Birmingham local authority 
			  PTR 
			  England West midlands Birmingham 
			 November 2011 17.2 16.7 16.9 
			 November 2010 17.1 16.7 16.3 
			 2009 16.9 16.8 16.3 
			 2008 16.9 16.7 15.7 
			 2007 17.1 17.0 16.3 
		
	
	
		
			 2006 17.2 17.3 17.1 
			 (1) The PTR is based on the total FTE number of pupils on roll in local authority maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools and the FTE of all teachers in these schools (including: centrally employed; occasional teachers; those on employment-based routes to QTS; others without QTS, those on paid absence and any replacements). (2) For statistical purposes only, pupils who do not attend both morning and afternoon at least five days a week are regarded as part-time. Each part-time pupil is treated as 0.5 FTE. (3) November 2011 figures are calculated using the latest available figures e.g. January 2012 pupil numbers and November 2011 teacher numbers. Sources: School census for FTE pupils (January 2006 to 2009, 2011 and 2012), for FTE teachers school census and 618g up to and including 2009, school workforce census November 2010 and 2011.

Education: Qualifications

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education at how many and which mainstream secondary schools 10 per cent or more pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieved (a) no GCSEs at grade A* to C, excluding equivalents and (b) no qualifications in each local authority area in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: In 2011, there were 2,177 state-funded mainstream secondary schools with more than five pupils(1) where 10% or more of their pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieved no GCSEs(2) at grade A* to C (excluding equivalents). There were no state-funded mainstream secondary schools with more than five pupils where 10% or more of their pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieved no qualifications.
	Lists of these schools and their local authority area have been placed in the House Libraries.
	Data for 2012 are not yet available; they will be published in late January 2013.
	(1 )Schools with five or fewer pupils at the end of key stage 4 have been excluded from this analysis to protect individual confidentiality.
	(2) GCSEs include short-course, full-course and double award GCSEs and accredited iGCSEs and international certificates. Pupils who have achieved at least grade C in a full-course GCSE or iGCSE, a grade CD in a double award or two grade Cs in short courses are deemed to have a GCSE at grade A*-C.

Engineering: Young People

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the value of the Bloodhound world land speed recent project in encouraging schools to stimulate their pupils to consider careers in engineering; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The Bloodhound SSC Programme is one of a number of enhancement and enrichment activities that schools can use to encourage more pupils to study maths and science subjects and to consider a career in engineering. It provides a unique opportunity for schools to help solve some of the design problems in building the car that I very much hope will enable the British team to beat the world land speed record.

Free School Meals

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education at how many and which (a) primary and (b) secondary schools which fell below the Government's floor targets, fewer than (i) 15, (ii) five and (iii) one per cent of pupils were eligible for free school meals, by local authority area, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: In 2011, there were 1,310 primary schools that fell below the Government's floor standard:
	210 out of those 1,310 schools had fewer than 15% of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM);
	20 schools had fewer than 5% of pupils eligible for FSM;
	three schools had fewer than 1% of pupils eligible for FSM.
	In 2011, there were 107 secondary schools that fell below the Government's floor standard:
	eight out of those 107 schools had fewer than 15% of pupils eligible for FSM;
	two schools had fewer than 5% of pupils eligible for FSM;
	no schools had fewer than 1% of pupils eligible for FSM.
	Lists of these schools and their local authority area have been placed in the House Libraries.
	Data for 2012 is not yet available; it will be published in late January 2013.

Free School Meals

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to publish his Department's consultation on eligibility for free school meals under universal credit; and what the reasons are for the time taken to publish the consultation.

David Laws: Given the significant number and complexity of passported benefits across Government —most of which have different eligibility criteria—we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to simplify free school meals criteria under universal credit, while ensuring that free school meals continue to be available to the families who need them most. Our discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions include discussions about the timetable for introducing new criteria. We want to allow good time to enable schools, local authorities and children's charities to comment on our proposals before we introduce new criteria.

Further Education: Free School Meals

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on take-up of places at further education and sixth form colleges of making students at such colleges eligible for free school meals;
	(2)  what representations he has received on extending free school meals to further education and sixth form college students aged 16 to 18 years old; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has not assessed the effect on take-up of places at further education and sixth form colleges of making students eligible for free school meals, but we have received representations on their eligibility.
	The then Minister for Schools, the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr Gibb), responded to a Westminster Hall debate on 13 June 2012, Official Report, column 94WH, called by the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough (Mr Blunkett) on this issue,. It was also raised during Education Questions on 18 June 2012, Official Report, column 595. We have received representations from the chief executive of the Association of Colleges and college principals. We have also responded to correspondence and parliamentary questions from a number of hon. Members.
	As I explained in my response on 15 October 2012, Official Report, column 190W, to the right hon. Members for Birkenhead (Mr Field) and Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Alan Johnson), the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton has fulfilled the commitment he made during the debate to raise the issue with his ministerial colleagues, and we are now working through the available options.

Further Education: Free School Meals

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many further education and sixth form college students aged 16 to 18-years-old would be eligible for free school meals if they were attending a school sixth form in (a) Pendle constituency, (b) the North West and (c) nationally.

David Laws: It is not possible to determine whether learners in colleges would meet the current free school meals criteria. However, we can estimate how many 16 to 18-year-olds in FE colleges and sixth form colleges were eligible for free school meals (FSM) when they were in year 11 and this is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 16 to 18-year-olds in further education colleges and sixth form colleges in Pendle, the north west and England, 2010/11 by FSM status at age 15 
			  Full-time/part-time status in post-16 study Pendle North West England 
			 Eligible for FSM at 15 Full-time education 185 18,410 92,365 
			  Part-time education 40 2,570 13,800 
			  Total 230 20,980 106,165 
			 Not eligible for FSM at 15 Full-time education 1,015 89,050 530,510 
			  Part-time education 185 7;580 57,990 
			  Total 1,200 96,630 588,500 
			      
			 Unknown FSM status at 15 Full-time education 90 8,470 65,720 
			  Part-time education 30 3,235 19,205 
			  Total 115 11,700 84,925 
			      
			 All Full-time education 1,290 115,930 688,595 
			  Part-time education 255 13,385 90,995 
			  Total 1,545 129,315 779,590 
			 Note: Data are rounded to the nearest 5 students. The components of each table may not sum to the total due to independent rounding

Grammar Schools: Free School Meals

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of pupils at each state grammar school were eligible for free school meals in each local authority area in the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Laws: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	The latest information on the number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (including school level data) has been published as part of the “Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012” Statistical First Release at
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001071/index.shtml
	
		
			 Selective schools (1, 2) : Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals. January 2012. By local authority area in England 
			 Unique Reference Number (URN) LA code LA name School number School name Number on roll (3, 4) Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals (3, 4) Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 101354 302 Barnet 4752 The Henrietta Barnett School 466 12 2.6 
			 136290 302 Barnet 5401 Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet 893 16 1.8 
			 101361 302 Barnet 5404 St Michael's Catholic Grammar School 476 19 4.0 
			 136369 303 Bexley 4000 Bexley Grammar School 991 28 2.8 
		
	
	
		
			 137769 303 Bexley 4001 Townley Grammar School for Girls 1,032 32 3.1 
			 137423 303 Bexley 4009 Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School 959 21 2.2 
			 136334 303 Bexley 5403 Beths Grammar School 801 13 1.6 
			 136551 305 Bromley 5405 Newstead Wood School 676 7 1.0 
			 101676 305 Bromley 5410 St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School 594 3 0.5 
			 102055 308 Enfield 5400 The Latymer School 901 38 4.2 
			 136615 314 Kingston upon Thames 4010 The Tiffin Girls' School 601 12 2.0 
			 136910 314 Kingston upon Thames 5400 Tiffin School 715 19 2.7 
			 102850 317 Redbridge 4007 Ilford County High School 600 23 3.8 
			 102852 317 Redbridge 4025 Woodford County High School 600 29 4.8 
			 136621 319 Sutton 5400 Wilson's School 751 14 1.9 
			 136795 319 Sutton 5401 Nonsuch High School for Girls 901 16 1.8 
			 136787 319 Sutton 5404 Sutton Grammar School 601 10 1.7 
			 136789 319 Sutton 5405 Wallington High School for Girls 898 23 2.6 
			 136798 319 Sutton 5407 Wallington County Grammar School 621 11 1.8 
			 136778 330 Birmingham 4300 Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls 753 31 4.1 
			 103535 330 Birmingham 4660 Bishop Vesey's Grammar School 618 37 6.0 
			 103549 330 Birmingham 5402 Handsworth Grammar School 719 104 14.5 
			 137047 330 Birmingham 5404 King Edward VI Handsworth School 641 44 6.9 
			 137046 330 Birmingham 5405 King Edward VI Five Ways School 784 22 2.8 
			 137044 330 Birmingham 5406 King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls 605 34 5.6 
			 137045 330 Birmingham 5407 King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys 464 11 2.4 
			 137043 330 Birmingham 5408 King Edward VI Aston School 522 67 12.8 
			 136777 335 Walsall 5403 Queen Mary's High School 481 31 6.4 
			 136773 335 Walsall 5404 Queen Mary's Grammar School 479 15 3.1 
			 104402 336 Wolverhampton 5400 Wolverhampton Girls' High School 535 10 1.9 
			 104704 341 Liverpool 5404 The Blue Coat School 611 33 5.4 
			 137171 344 Wirral 4052 Wirral Grammar School for Girls 806 24 3.0 
			 137243 344 Wirral 4056 West Kirby Grammar School 848 21 2.5 
			 105112 344 Wirral 5400 Calday Grange Grammar School 917 30 3.3 
			 137476 344 Wirral 5401 Wirral Grammar School for Boys 774 33 4.3 
			 136780 344 Wirral 5900 St Anselm's College 650 35 5.4 
			 105115 344 Wirral 5901 Upton Hall School FCJ 722 30 4.2 
			 106368 358 Trafford 4025 Stretford Grammar School 638 64 10.0 
			 136498 358 Trafford 4029 Sale Grammar School 914 18 2.0 
			 136458 358 Trafford 5404 Altrincham Grammar School for Boys 937 5 0.5 
			 136297 358 Trafford 5405 Urmston Grammar Academy 642 17 2.6 
			 137289 358 Trafford 5407 Altrincham Grammar School for Girls 946 19 2.0 
			 131315 358 Trafford 5900 St Ambrose College 724 20 2.8 
		
	
	
		
			 106378 358 Trafford 5901 Loreto Grammar School 780 14 1.8 
			 136788 381 Calderdale 5400 The North Halifax Grammar School 781 13 1.7 
			 107575 381 Calderdale 5401 The Crossley Heath School 779 18 2.3 
			 136283 382 Kirklees 5401 Heckmondwike Grammar School 785 28 3.6 
			 121694 815 North Yorkshire 4215 Ripon Grammar School 598 6 1.0 
			 136664 815 North Yorkshire 4518 Skipton Girls' High School 566 9 1.6 
			 121716 815 North Yorkshire 4608 Ermysted's Grammar School 557 11 2.0 
			 136771 825 Buckinghamshire 4009 John Hampden Grammar School 778 7 0.9 
			 137564 825 Buckinghamshire 4051 Burnham Grammar School 687 25 3.6 
			 136846 825 Buckinghamshire 4058 Aylesbury High School 891 6 0.7 
			 137219 825 Buckinghamshire 4061 Dr Challoner's High School 753 6 0.8 
			 136845 825 Buckinghamshire 4065 Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School 758 20 2.6 
			 137091 825 Buckinghamshire 4079 Chesham Grammar School 847 7 0.8 
			 136884 825 Buckinghamshire 4500 Aylesbury Grammar School 911 3 0.3 
			 137344 825 Buckinghamshire 4501 Royal Latin School 877 13 1.5 
			 136723 825 Buckinghamshire 4503 Wycombe High School 916 25 2.7 
			 136419 825 Buckinghamshire 4504 Dr Challoner's Grammar School 905 4 0.4 
			 136781 825 Buckinghamshire 4505 Sir William Borlase's Grammar School 656 x x 
			 110528 825 Buckinghamshire 5402 Beaconsfield High School 745 4 0.5 
			 136484 825 Buckinghamshire 5404 The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe 971 9 0.9 
			 136368 836 Poole 5403 Parkstone Grammar School 749 20 2.7 
			 136850 836 Poole 5409 Poole Grammar School 704 24 3.4 
			 137452 837 Bournemouth 5400 Bournemouth School 747 23 3.1 
			 136996 837 Bournemouth 5405 Bournemouth School for Girls 799 18 2.3 
			 136460 861 Stoke-on-Trent 5901 St Joseph's College 660 11 1.7 
			 136391 865 Wiltshire 5412 South Wilts Grammar School for Girls 645 8 1.2 
			 136500 865 Wiltshire 5413 Bishop Wordsworth's Grammar School 604 3 0.5 
			 136449 870 Reading 5401 Reading School 597 5 0.8 
			 136448 870 Reading 5413 Kendrick School 474 7 1.5 
			 110084 871 Slough 4700 St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School 626 5 0.8 
			 136521 871 Slough 5405 Langley Grammar School 752 17 2.3 
			 110103 871 Slough 5407 Herschel Grammar School 619 21 3.4 
			 136420 871 Slough 5408 Slough Grammar School 794 36 4.5 
			 136366 878 Devon 5400 Colyton Grammar School 599 17 2.8 
			 136588 879 Plymouth 4152 Devonport High School for Girls 602 23 3.8 
			 113532 879 Plymouth 4155 Plymouth High School for Girls 600 24 4.0 
			 136496 879 Plymouth 5406 Devonport High School for Boys 863 18 2.1 
			 136506 880 Torbay 4114 Torquay Girls Grammar School 602 18 3.0 
			 136388 880 Torbay 4116 Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy 651 31 4.8 
		
	
	
		
			 136321 880 Torbay 5401 Torquay Boys' Grammar School 774 19 2.5 
			 136412 881 Essex 5410 Chelmsford County High School for Girls 600 5 0.8 
			 136642 881 Essex 5411 King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford 561 5 0.9 
			 137814 881 Essex 5443 Colchester Royal Grammar School 495 8 1.6 
			 137515 881 Essex 5454 Colchester County High School for Girls 560 6 1.1 
			 136272 882 Southend-on-Sea 5401 Westcliff High School for Boys Academy 769 10 1.3 
			 136490 882 Southend-on-Sea 5423 Westcliff High School for Girls 762 25 3.3 
			 136444 882 Southend-on-Sea 5428 Southend High School for Girls 745 23 3.1 
			 136443 882 Southend-on-Sea 5446 Southend High School for Boys 742 12 1.6 
			 118789 886 Kent 4043 Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School 723 13 1.8 
			 118790 886 Kent 4045 Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys 923 22 2.4 
			 136455 886 Kent 4046 Weald of Kent Grammar School 797 10 1.3 
			 136582 886 Kent 4058 Invicta Grammar School 890 30 3.4 
			 136305 886 Kent 4080 Highsted Grammar School 649 21 3.2 
			 136379 886 Kent 4092 Highworth Grammar School for Girls 920 25 2.7 
			 118805 886 Kent 4101 The Harvey Grammar School 673 49 7.3 
			 118806 886 Kent 4109 Dover Grammar School for Girls 603 28 4.6 
			 136385 886 Kent 4118 The Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School Federation 470 23 4.9 
			 118835 886 Kent 4522 Maidstone Grammar School 910 23 2.5 
			 118836 886 Kent 4523 Maidstone Grammar School for Girls 900 14 1.6 
			 137800 886 Kent 4527 Borden Grammar School 577 27 4.7 
			 118838 886 Kent 4528 The Norton Knatchbull School 739 25 3.4 
			 118840 886 Kent 4534 Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School 807 16 2.0 
			 118843 886 Kent 4622 The Judd School 647 10 1.5 
			 137250 886 Kent 5400 Wilmington Grammar School for Girls 616 14 2.3 
			 137227 886 Kent 5403 Wilmington Grammar School for Boys 648 15 2.3 
			 136359 886 Kent 5406 Dartford Grammar School 768 13 1.7 
			 118883 886 Kent 5411 Dartford Grammar School for Girls 806 22 2.7 
			 118884 886 Kent 5412 Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys 640 20 3.1 
			 137739 886 Kent 5416 Cranbrook School 456 x x 
			 118890 886 Kent 5418 The Skinners' School 596 3 0.5 
			 136727 886 Kent 5422 Oakwood Park Grammar School 741 26 3.5 
			 136501 886 Kent 5428 Sir Roger Manwood's School 627 19 3.0 
			 118909 886 Kent 5437 The Folkestone School for Girls 775 48 6.2 
			 136417 886 Kent 5443 Tonbridge Grammar School 749 4 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			 137474 886 Kent 5444 Barton Court Grammar School 637 25 3.9 
			 136570 886 Kent 5449 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School 654 16 2.4 
			 118931 886 Kent 5459 Dover Grammar School for Boys 605 41 6.8 
			 136585 886 Kent 5460 Dane Court Grammar School 862 52 6.0 
			 136382 886 Kent 5462 The Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School Federation 538 27 5.0 
			 137099 886 Kent 5465 Gravesend Grammar School 779 26 3.3 
			 118787 886 Kent 5467 Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend 728 29 4.0 
			 136594 887 Medway 4068 Chatham Grammar School for Boys 595 31 5.2 
			 136337 887 Medway 4069 Fort Pitt Grammar School 592 34 5.7 
			 136662 887 Medway 4530 Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School 868 32 3.7 
			 136864 887 Medway 5420 Rainham Mark Grammar School 889 34 3.8 
			 137389 887 Medway 5429 Chatham Grammar School for Girls 576 29 5.0 
			 136313 887 Medway 5445 The Rochester Grammar School 847 30 3.5 
			 119809 888 Lancashire 5400 Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School 749 15 2.0 
			 136742 888 Lancashire 5401 Lancaster Royal Grammar School 713 15 2.1 
			 136381 888 Lancashire 5402 Lancaster Girls' Grammar School 565 12 2.1 
			 136390 888 Lancashire 5403 Clitheroe Royal Grammar School 597 7 1.2 
			 136516 894 Telford and Wrekin 4364 Newport Girls' High School 280 4 1.4 
			 137446 894 Telford and Wrekin 5400 Adams' Grammar School 531 4 0.8 
			 136732 909 Cumbria 5401 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School 603 5 0.8 
			 136306 916 Gloucestershire 4001 Sir Thomas Rich's School 574 7 1.2 
			 136666 916 Gloucestershire 4002 High School for Girls 620 9 1.5 
			 136767 916 Gloucestershire 5400 Ribston Hall High School 569 16 2.8 
			 137123 916 Gloucestershire 5401 Marling School 618 17 2.8 
			 136874 916 Gloucestershire 5402 Stroud High School 629 8 1.3 
			 136353 916 Gloucestershire 5403 Pate's Grammar School 628 5 0.8 
			 136578 916 Gloucestershire 5404 The Crypt School 583 28 4.8 
			 120632 925 Lincolnshire 4004 Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School 870 15 1.7 
			 137667 925 Lincolnshire 4005 Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy 626 14 2.2 
			 120640 925 Lincolnshire 4022 Boston High School 436 7 1.6 
			 120642 925 Lincolnshire 4027 Spalding High School 735 25 3.4 
			 120655 925 Lincolnshire 4065 The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough 907 30 3.3 
			 137793 925 Lincolnshire 4501 Bourne Grammar School 754 10 1.3 
			 120665 925 Lincolnshire 4603 Spalding Grammar School 664 17 2.6 
			 120696 925 Lincolnshire 5400 The Skegness Grammar School 497 16 3.2 
			 136315 925 Lincolnshire 5401 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford—A Selective Academy 439 19 4.3 
		
	
	
		
			 137166 925 Lincolnshire 5402 The King's School, Grantham 738 19 2.6 
			 137213 925 Lincolnshire 5403 Carre's Grammar School 573 18 3.1 
			 120701 925 Lincolnshire 5405 The King Edward VI Grammar School, Louth 607 6 1.0 
			 136350 925 Lincolnshire 5406 Caistor Grammar School 474 7 1.5 
			 120707 925 Lincolnshire 5411 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle 595 11 1.8 
			 120720 925 Lincolnshire 5424 The Boston Grammar School 353 17 4.8 
			 137235 937 Warwickshire 4002 Stratford-Upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls 372 5 1.3 
			 137302 937 Warwickshire 4601 King Edward VI School 399 4 1.0 
			 125753 937 Warwickshire 4620 Lawrence Sheriff School 579 5 0.9 
			 136595 937 Warwickshire 5406 Rugby High School 471 10 2.1 
			 136622 937 Warwickshire 5407 Alcester Grammar School 464 5 1.1 
			 x = 1 or 2 pupils, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 pupils. (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes secondary academies. (3) Includes full time and part time pupils who are sole or dual main registrations. Includes boarders. (4) Pupils who have full time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part time attendance and are aged between 5 and 15. Source: School Census

Health Education: Sex

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that schools provide young people with clear information regarding consent and domestic violence during the course of sex and relationships education.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 8 November 2012
	Sexual consent is an important issue and the Department is committed to making the cross-government Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Action Plan as powerful and effective as possible.
	We encourage all schools to address the topic of sexual consent in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. When teaching sex education and related issues, schools must have regard to the Secretary of State's Guidance on Sex and Relationship Education.
	The document makes clear that schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour. Specifically, all young people should understand how the law applies to sexual relationships.

Home Education

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on home-schooling.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 8 November 2012
	The Department for Education respects the right of parents to educate their children at home. The current arrangements strike the right balance between the responsibilities of the parent and the state. We have no plans to change that position, however, the Education Select Committee is inquiring into support for home education and we will consider the Committee's report in due course.

Home Education

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the benefits of home-schooling for children.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 8 November 2012
	The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has made no assessment of the benefits of home education. Parents are responsible for ensuring their child receives an education that is suitable to their age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they may have.

Languages: GCSE

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to encourage the study of Spanish at GCSE;
	(2)  how many students studied Spanish at GCSE in 2011-12.

Elizabeth Truss: We are encouraging the study of modern foreign languages, including Spanish, in a number of ways. We have made a modern or ancient language part of the English Baccalaureate. We also believe that an early start to language learning will benefit pupils' education in secondary school and have proposed that a foreign language be statutory at Key Stage 2 from 2014 as part of the new national curriculum. DFE-commissioned research published in 2009 showed that 25% of primary schools were teaching Spanish and the language continues to be very popular at this level.
	While the Department cannot provide figures on those studying GCSE Spanish, the Statistical First Release “GCSE and Equivalent Results (Provisional) and National Curriculum Teacher Assessments at Key Stage 3 in England, 2011/12” provides information on the number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 attempting GCSEs in a range of subjects. This publication is available from the Department's website here:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics/recentreleases/a00214981/gcse-national-curriculum-teacher-assessment-ks3-england
	Table 7 shows that the number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in the 2011/12 academic year who attempted GCSE Spanish was 63,400. This includes attempts by these pupils in previous academic years.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 30 October 2012, Official Report, columns 203-4W, on Ministerial policy advisers, for what reasons he has increased the joint number of special advisers and policy advisers in his Department by 75 per cent since September 2012.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 6 November 2012
	It was the Secretary of State for Education's view that it was sensible to engage additional adviser support in developing and implementing the Government's reforms.

Outdoor Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that outstanding practice in fieldwork teaching outside the classroom is recognised and reported on in secondary school inspections.

David Laws: We have specified the core areas for Ofsted to focus on when inspecting and reporting on a school's performance. However, it is for Ofsted to decide on how to approach the inspection of those areas. HM Chief Inspector introduced a new inspection framework in September. Within the current framework inspectors can consider the impact of relevant areas of fieldwork when assessing the learning and progress of pupils as well as in looking at how well the curriculum meets the needs, aptitude and interest of pupils.

Outdoor Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that continuing professional development available to experienced science and geography teachers in secondary schools includes training to support the teaching of high quality fieldwork.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government recognises the positive contribution that fieldwork can make to pupils' understanding of science and geography. However, it is for individual schools to decide to what extent they use such experiences to enhance the teaching of these subjects, and what continuing professional development resources are appropriate for their teachers.
	The Department and the Wellcome Trust are jointly funding the national network of science learning centres to provide science teachers with access to high quality professional development opportunities. These include courses on how to plan and deliver fieldwork as part of science teaching.

Outdoor Education

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that all future routes for initial teacher training will deliver sufficient numbers of early-career teachers who are able to teach high quality GCSE and A level fieldwork in practical subjects such as geography and science.

David Laws: The Department's Initial Teacher Training strategy published in June 2011 provides for a number of different routes to teacher training designed to attract the highest quality of graduates to the profession.
	In all of these routes, initial teacher training providers decide what trainees should be taught to enable them to achieve the teachers' standards, ensuring trainees know and understand the relevant settings and context applicable to the subject they wish to teach. Specifically, the standards state that trainees must demonstrate they are able to plan and teach
	“out-of-class activities to consolidate and extend the knowledge and understanding pupils have acquired.”

Overseas Students: Panama

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to encourage Panamanian students to study in the UK.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government recognises the important contribution that international students make to the UK and we welcome all legitimate students to the UK to study at our world-class academic institutions. There is no cap on international students.
	The Government promotes UK education through a range of channels, including the Education UK website, managed by British Council and in-country partners, through which Panamanian students can find out about education opportunities in the UK.
	The Department will continue to work with partners representing the UK higher education sector to ensure that students looking to study in the UK are aware of the full range of opportunities available to them.

Overseas Students: Panama

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students from Panama are studying in the UK.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Information from the Higher Education Statistics Agency showed that there were around 50 Panama domiciled enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions for the academic year 2010/11. Information on enrolments at UK Higher Education Institutions for the 2011/12 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2013.

Peniel Academy

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will place in the Library a copy of each Ofsted inspection report for the former Peniel Academy school in Brentwood since 2000.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 9 November 2012
	Peniel Academy was renamed as Trinity School in 2010, and is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), rather than Ofsted. The report of the most recent ISI inspection is available to view through the following link:
	http://www.isi.net/schools/7384/

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on what date his Department's review of personal, social health and education stopped receiving submissions; and when he plans to publish the results of that review.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 13 November 2012
	The public consultation phase of the internal review of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education ended in November 2011. The review will take account of the outcomes of the ongoing national curriculum review and we will publish conclusions in due course.

Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications in the last 12 months.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education subscribes to the full range of national newspapers, as well as a range of journals and magazines which cover education and children's issues. In 2011/12, the most recent financial year for which full figures are available, the Department spent £4,920 on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications. This figure has been consistent for the past three years.

Private Education

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 932W, on private education, how many local authorities (a) provide and (b) plan to provide those receiving independent education but whose education is publicly funded and are therefore eligible for support from the bursary fund, funding via the 16 to 19 bursary schemes.

David Laws: The 16-19 Bursary Fund provides targeted financial support for the most disadvantaged young people in further education and training. The vast majority of them are in publicly-funded schools, colleges or training providers, so the Government has decided that bursaries should only go to students attending publicly-funded education or training. Young people in independent schools cannot usually apply for financial support from the 16-19 Bursary Fund.
	Some young people aged 16 to 19 are placed in independent special schools or other independent provision by their local authority. When a young person is attending these types of establishments, and their education is being funded by the local authority, they can apply for support from the Bursary Fund.
	However, data on the number of local authorities that provide, or plan to provide, financial support through the 16-19.Bursary Fund for young people receiving publicly-funded education in independent schools, are not held centrally.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the level of uptake of residential experiences by students studying geography and science in secondary schools in areas with multiple deprivation following the introduction of pupil premiums.

Edward Timpson: Information on residential experiences for school pupils studying either geography or science is not collected centrally. Schools are free to deploy their pupil premium funding as they wish, as school leaders and teachers are the professionals best placed to understand and respond to the individual educational needs of their disadvantaged pupils. This will include, in appropriate cases, supporting disadvantaged pupils' attendance on field trips and residential study opportunities.
	At the same time, Ofsted have an increased focus on the performance of pupils who attract the premium, and on how it is used to remove barriers to learning for premium pupils. Since September 2012, as part of routine school inspection, Ofsted holds school leaders to account by looking at how schools have spent their pupil premium and at their rationale. Inspectors will examine what difference this is making to the learning and progress of the pupils concerned. Their judgments on schools' leadership will consider their use of both the premium and other resources to overcome barriers to achievement for their pupils.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils have attracted payment of the pupil premium in (a) Gillingham and Rainham constituency, (b) Medway and (c) Kent in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Laws: The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011. Pupil premium funding is provided to schools which have on roll pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (the deprivation premium); children in care who have been continuously looked after for at least six months (the looked after child premium); and children whose parents are serving in the armed forces (the service child premium).
	In the financial year 2012-13, 3,510 pupils in Gillingham and Rainham constituency area were eligible for either the deprivation premium or service child premium, attracting £2.158 million. It is not possible to identify, at constituency level, the number of pupils eligible for the looked after child premium or the number of pupils eligible for the deprivation premium in alternative provision settings.
	In the same year, 9,960 pupils in Medway local authority and 44,240 pupils in Kent local authority were eligible for either the deprivation premium, service child premium or looked after child premium, attracting £6.084 million and £27.061 million respectively.
	In 2013-14, the deprivation and looked after premium is set to rise to £900 per pupil and the service premium is set to rise to £300 per pupil. We are not yet able to provide estimates of the number of eligible pupils for 2013-14. The pupil premium allocations for 2013-14 will be based on pupil numbers as recorded in the January 2013 school census which are not yet known. We intend to provide provisional allocations later in the year, based on pupil numbers from the January 2012 censuses.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the pupil premium will have an effect on the difference in per pupil funding between Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

David Laws: The deprivation and looked after premium is set to rise to £900 per pupil in 2013-14 and the service premium is set to rise to £300 per pupil. Figures relating to the number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in 2013-14 and 2014-15 are not yet available as they will be determined by the January 2013 and January 2014 pupil count. Provisional estimates for 2013-14 will be published on the Department for Education's website when the data is available.
	The pupil premium may affect the difference in per pupil funding between authorities due to different areas having varying levels of disadvantaged pupils but this is not the premium's primary aim. The pupil premium is intended to recognise that disadvantaged pupils need extra support and provide additional funding for these children to help raise their attainment.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the pupil premium will have an effect on the difference in per pupil funding between Worcestershire and Birmingham in (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.

David Laws: The deprivation and looked after premium is set to rise to £900 per pupil in 2013-14 and the service premium is set to rise to £300 per pupil. Figures relating to the number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in 2013-14 and 2014-15 are not yet available as they will be determined by the January 2013 and January 2014 pupil count. Provisional estimates for 2013-14 will be published on the Department for Education’s website when the data is available.
	The pupil premium may affect the difference in per pupil funding between authorities due to different areas having varying levels of disadvantaged pupils but this is not the premium’s primary aim. The pupil premium is intended to recognise that disadvantaged pupils need extra support and provide additional funding for these children to help raise their attainment.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the national average per pupil unit of funding for schools in England is; and what the per pupil unit of funding is for Cambridgeshire;
	(2)  what the national average per pupil units of funding was for (a) Cambridgeshire and (b) Bedfordshire in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Laws: Local authorities receive funding for pupils through the dedicated schools grant based on a guaranteed unit of funding for each pupil. In 2012-13, the national average guaranteed unit of funding for England is £5,082.54. The guaranteed units of funding for Cambridgeshire and central Bedfordshire are £4,643.51 and £4,658.10 respectively.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the per pupil units of funding were for (a) Worcestershire, (b) Herefordshire, (c) Gloucestershire, (d) Warwickshire, (e) Staffordshire, (f) Shropshire and (g) Birmingham in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Laws: Local authorities receive funding for pupils through the dedicated schools grant based on a guaranteed unit of funding for each pupil. The guaranteed units of funding for each authority for 2012-13, the latest year for which figures are available, are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority Guaranteed  unit of funding,  2012-13 (£) 
			 (a) Worcestershire 4,600.77 
			 (b) Herefordshire 4,723.65 
			 (c) Gloucestershire 4,660.95 
			 (d) Warwickshire 4,662.81 
			 (e) Staffordshire 4,653.02 
			 (f) Shropshire 4,611.67 
			 (g) Birmingham 5,688.80

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the national average per pupil unit of funding for schools in England is; and what the per pupil unit of funding for Worcestershire is (a) including and (b) excluding the pupil premium.

David Laws: Local authorities receive funding for pupils through the dedicated schools grant based on a guaranteed unit of funding for each pupil. In 2012-13, the national average guaranteed unit of funding is £5,082.54 and Worcestershire’s is £4,600.77. The dedicated schools grant and pupil premium are allocated on different bases. The dedicated schools grant is allocated on the basis of all pupils in a local authority, whereas the pupil premium is allocated only to the most disadvantaged pupils, looked-after children and children from armed services families. If the pupil premium allocation is added to the dedicated schools grant allocation and the total amount divided on the same basis as the dedicated schools grant, per pupil funding for Worcestershire is £4,720.29.

Schools

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds on the number of children who attended (a) two, (b) three, (c) four, (d) five, (e) six, (f) seven, (g) eight, (h) nine and (i) 10 (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Laws: The School Census collects pupil level data on a termly basis from state-funded schools in England. We expect schools to provide data on all pupils attending their school at the time of the census. The National Pupil Database (NPD) is populated with data from the School Census and other pupil level collections. To the extent that data are collected termly, it is possible to use NPD data to track pupil movement between schools. Such analysis has not been carried out to date and developing a sufficiently robust approach and quality assuring the results could be completed only at disproportionate cost.

Schools: Admissions

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and which schools are (a) known and (b) permitted to select pupils on the basis of aptitude in (i) sports, (ii) the arts, (iii) modern languages and (iv) technology under the provisions of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

David Laws: The Department collects data showing the number of pupils in schools permitted to operate some form of selective admission arrangements, whether wholly or partially selective. It is not possible to provide numbers by any of the specialisms requested. The available information, on number of pupils educated in selective schools in local authority, is published in the table 7c of the Statistical First Release ‘Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, January 2012’. This is available on the Department's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001071/index.shtml

Schools: Disability

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will commit to consulting (a) disabled people, (b) organisations representing disabled people and (c) architects in advance of any further revision to school design specifications.

David Laws: The Department's current design guidance Building Bulletin 102 ‘Designing for disabled children and children with special educational needs’ is due for review. Part of the review will involve seeking advice from organisations representing disabled people and architects with experience of designing schools.
	The Department has recently published baseline designs for schools based on the Department's most recent output specification, for the Priority School Building Programme. These designs are intended to meet all relevant regulations and to ensure the schools are accessible to people with limited mobility and other disabilities. Accessibility reviews were carried out to check that the designs met all requirements. We expect the baseline designs to evolve in response to feedback, and intend to add further versions.
	The baseline designs for schools can be seen at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schoolscapital/buildingsanddesign/baseline/b00213595/baseline-designs---how-the-designs-address-the-brief/key-principles
	The new PFI Output Specification is now available to download on the DFES website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/schoolscapital/buildingsanddesign/baseline/b00213573/facilities-output-specification-for-the-priority-school-building-programme-pfi-projects

Schools: Finance

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools have received an Environment Improvement Grant of more than £50,000 in each local authority; which such schools are sponsored academies; and which organisations sponsor such academies.

David Laws: A total of 124 schools (65 primaries, 59 secondaries) have been allocated Environmental Improvement Grants in the current financial year (2012-13). Of these, four primary and 16 secondary schools have so far received funding greater than £50,000. Predecessor schools receiving Environmental Improvement Grants only do so in advance of them opening as sponsored academies.
	The following table provides a breakdown of this information by local authority, and the list includes details of the sponsors for these academies.
	It should be noted that secondary sponsored academies receive higher rates of Environmental Improvement Grant than primary sponsored academies. Primary sponsored academies will only receive more than £50,000 in cases of exceptional need.
	
		
			 Table 1: Environmental Improvement Grant funding over £50,000 in financial year 2012-13 
			 Local authority Primary Secondary 
			 Suffolk — 2 
			 Gloucester — 1 
			 Cheshire West and Chester — 1 
			 Darlington — 1 
			 Nottinghamshire — 1 
			 Durham — 1 
			 Wolverhampton — 1 
			 Manchester 1 — 
			 Buckinghamshire — 1 
			 Walsall — 1 
			 Kent — 1 
			 Medway — 1 
			 Haringey 2 — 
			 Birmingham — 1 
			 Milton Keynes — 1 
			 Merton — 1 
			 Greenwich — 1 
			 Essex 1 — 
		
	
	Sponsors of academies receiving Environmental Improvement Grant funding over £50,000 in financial year 2012-13
	AET
	ARK
	E-ACT
	Fort Pitt Academy Trust
	Harris Federation
	Hearts Academy Trust
	Heath Park Business Enterprise College
	Lang O'Rourke and Lend Lease
	Longfield School
	New College Durham
	School Partnership Trust
	University of Chester

Schools: Lancashire

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have been put into special measures in Wyre and Preston North constituency since 2009.

David Laws: This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to the hon. Member, providing him with the information requested, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Michael Wilshaw ,  dated 7 November 2012
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	Since 2005, maintained school inspections have been carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, and more recently the Education Act 2011. Of the 27 primary schools and six secondary schools inspected between the academic years 2009/10 and 2011/12 (up to 30 June 2012) in the Wyre and Preston North constituency, one primary school and no secondary schools, were judged inadequate for their overall effectiveness. This primary school was placed in special measures, following its section 5 inspection.
	Under section 5 Ofsted inspects maintained schools (nursery, primary, secondary and special schools and pupil referral units), state-funded independent schools such as academies and certain non-maintained special schools in England. All primary and secondary schools have been included in this response. On 1 January 2012 Ofsted implemented a new school inspection framework for section 5 inspections. This reflected amendments made by the Education Act 2011 and included a sharper focus on the judgements that matter most, even more time spent in the classroom and a continued drive to raise standards, particularly in literacy.
	Statistics covering the outcomes of all inspections carried out in each academic year can be found at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/advanced-resources-search/results/Maintained%20schools/2/all/any/200/any
	The most recent official statistics release covering the outcomes of maintained school inspections undertaken between-1 April 2012 and 30 June 2012 was released-on 13 September and can be accessed at the same link.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to David Laws MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Schools: Worcestershire

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the fairness of the funding formula for schools in Worcestershire.

David Laws: holding answer 5 November 2012
	The Department recognises that the current funding system is unfair and out of date. It is based on a historic assessment of need which dates back to at least 2005/06. This means that as the needs of pupils have changed in areas such as Worcestershire, the levels of funding have not always reflected those changes.
	In March the Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), announced our intention to introduce a new national funding formula during the next spending review period. A new national funding formula would redistribute money across local authorities to reflect the current needs of pupils.
	From 2013-14, we are simplifying the way in which funding is distributed within local authorities so that there is greater transparency and consistency. This is an important first step towards a national funding formula.
	To ensure that these new arrangements do not result in sharp changes to schools budgets, we have put in place a Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG). In 2013-14 and 2014-15, the MFG will mean that, in most cases, schools will not experience a reduction to their budgets of greater than 1.5% per pupil. I cannot give an exact value beyond 2014-15, but I can assure the House that an MFG will continue. As I have discussed with the hon. Member, the Department will review the 2013-14 arrangements and consider whether changes should be made for 2014-15 to help us move towards a new national funding formula. I have made a commitment that the Department will work with Worcestershire county council in conducting this review.

Science: Education

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to encourage schools to improve science teaching; and what measures are in place to assess the quality of science teaching in schools;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to promote girls studying science subjects.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 13 November 2012
	The Department is taking a number of actions to encourage schools to improve science teaching and to help to engage more girls in science education.
	Improving science teaching is at the heart of the Government's key education reforms. The review of the national curriculum aims to ensure that the new primary and secondary programmes of study for science focus on the essential knowledge pupils need to be taught. Academies and free schools have more freedom to teach science in ways that best suit the needs of their pupils. The inclusion of science GCSEs in the English baccalaureate will also help improve take up and standards.
	The Department has also allocated up to £135 million over the period 2011-15 to support better science teaching. This includes funding the national network of science learning centres in partnership with the Wellcome Trust to provide science teachers and technicians with access to high quality professional development opportunities. The work of the Stimulating Physics Network, delivered by the Institute of Physics, aims to support better physics teaching in schools so that more pupils, particularly girls, consider studying physics at A level. The Triple Science Support Programme continues to support greater take up of GCSE triple science through advice and support for teachers.
	The Department is also taking action to recruit more specialist science teachers. This includes attracting the best graduates into science teaching through bursaries of up to £20,000. The Department has also teamed up with the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry to offer £20,000 scholarships to the most gifted aspiring physics and chemistry teachers.
	As with other areas of the curriculum, science is not explicitly covered in the current school inspection framework. However, Ofsted does carry out subject surveys. “Improving science in colleges” was published in October 2011 and “Successful Science” in January 2011. Both reports noted that good teaching and learning in science depends on how well teachers know their subject and the extent to which they can generate students’ interest and enthusiasm for science.
	Inspection of initial teacher training provision includes consideration of relevant subject and curriculum knowledge and understanding.

Sixth Form Education: West Midlands

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many sixth form colleges in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands received funding for new buildings from his Department in each year since 2006; and how much his Department plans to spend in each year up to 2015.

David Laws: The number of sixth form colleges in (a) Birmingham and (b) the West Midlands that have received funding for new buildings from the Department for Education in each year since 2006 is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of colleges in Birmingham Number of colleges in the West Midlands 
			 2006-07 0 0 
			 2007-08 0 0 
			 2008-09 0 0 
			 2009-10 0 0 
			 2010-11 0 0 
			 2011-12 1 8 
			 2012-13 1 8 
		
	
	Please note that this table includes those sixth form colleges that have received capital funding for the modernisation and refurbishment of existing buildings but excludes devolved formula capital funding allocated to all sixth form colleges. The table does not list the number of sixth form colleges that have received capital funding from the Department of Business Innovation and Skills.
	The amount the Department for Education plans to spend on new buildings for sixth form colleges in each year up to 2015 has not yet been determined.

Special Educational Needs

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of whether local authorities would need additional administrative support and human resources to administer the proposals contained in his draft Children and Families Bill.

Edward Timpson: The Government has published draft clauses for pre legislative scrutiny in the following areas: SEN; adoption; family justice; and Office of the Children's Commissioner. We will continue to work in preparation for introduction, and during the passage of the Bill to assess any new resource implications for local authorities, in line with the Government's New Burdens Doctrine.
	Notably with regards to SEN, learning from the local pathfinder areas is helping us to understand what is needed to put the special educational needs and disability reforms into practice. The pathfinder areas have very recently been extended to continue until September 2014.

Special Guardianship Orders

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on the practice of law firms advertising special guardianship orders as an alternative to surrogacy arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 5 November 2012
	In the case of a surrogacy arrangement, parental orders can be sought to determine the legal parentage of a child born in the UK. They are governed by strict criteria. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 provides that applicants must be a husband and wife, civil partners or two persons who are living as partners in an enduring family relationship. This recognises the sensitivity and seriousness of surrogacy, an arrangement where a woman becomes pregnant with the express intention of handing the child over to someone else at birth.
	Special guardianship orders may offer an alternative for single people and applicants should ensure that they are fully informed about the limitations of the order before entering into a surrogacy arrangement.
	The decision to make either a special guardianship or parental order is taken by the court, which will need to be satisfied that the making of the order is in the child's best interests. The Government does not view special guardianship orders as an exact alternative to parental orders as they do not create the same legal relationship between the adult and the child. However, a special guardianship order will give the special guardian parental responsibility to the exclusion of all others, although there are some limitations.

Teachers

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many qualified teachers have stopped working as teachers in (a) England, (b) the West Midlands and (c) Birmingham since 2003.

David Laws: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The following table provides the qualified teacher wastage figures in publicly-funded schools in England and the West Midlands region in each financial year, March 2003-04 to March 2010-11.
	Full-time and part-time wastage is defined as all teachers in full-time or part-time service in English publicly-funded schools in March who were not in full-time or part-time service anywhere in English publicly-funded schools in the following March. It includes teachers who moved to other educational sectors such as independent schools and further education and those who had left teaching temporarily.
	
		
			 Qualified teacher wastage in publicly-funded schools (1) , by type and destination (2) , March 2006-07 to 2010-11, England and West Midlands (3)  region 
			  England West Midlands 
			 2010-11(4) 47,770 (5)— 
			 2009-10(4) 40,070 4,340 
			 2008-09 40,460 4,400 
			 2007-08 40,540 4,630 
			 2006-07 42,870 4,660 
			 2005-06 42,870 4,440 
			 2004-05 41,880 4,320 
			 2003-04 41,410 4,720 
			 (1) Academies and CTCs are included in the figures from 2007-08 onwards. (2) 10% to 20% of part-time teachers may not be included in the data. (3). Full-time and part-time wastage is defined as all teachers in full-time or part-time service in English publicly-funded schools in March who were not in full-time or part-time service anywhere in the English publicly-funded schools in the following March. This does not include moves between full-time and part-time service. (4) Provisional estimates. 2010-11 figures by region are incomplete and therefore not considered reliable. (5) Not available. Note: Figures at local authority level are not available due to data quality issues. Source: Database of Teacher Records. 
		
	
	The source data continue to be updated until three years after the period in question and may remain incomplete after that for some local authorities. Therefore, some teachers are estimated as remaining in service, particularly in recent years, in order to obtain numbers of teachers in service that agree with other trusted sources. While this provides figures that are considered reliable nationally, there is no assurance that the same would apply for the West Midlands region for the most recent year available, or in any year for Birmingham local authority. Therefore, these have not been supplied.

Teachers: Pensions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will consider commissioning an independent valuation of the teachers’ pension scheme; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: holding answer 13 November 2012
	Actuarial scheme valuations are dependent on assumptions about the value of future pensions, the design of benefits and many other factors. Many of these assumptions are being considered as part of current work on the design of a reformed TPS.
	The Public Service Pensions Bill, which is currently being debated in the House, contains provisions for each public service scheme to undertake a valuation in accordance with Treasury directions. An actuarial valuation of the teachers’ pension scheme will be completed in advance of the introduction of the reformed scheme in 2015.

Teachers: Pensions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1093W, on teachers: pensions, when he expects the next valuation of the teachers’ pension scheme to take place.

David Laws: holding answer 13 November 2012
	As stated in the answer of 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1093W, the 2008 valuation for the teachers’ pension scheme (TPS) was not completed because the Government suspended valuations of public service schemes following the interim findings of the Independent Public Sector Pensions Commission. Following the announcement of proposals to implement a reformed scheme, completion of the outstanding valuation will serve no useful purpose. A consultation is currently active which proposes to remove the provisions relating to valuation in the Teachers’ Pension Regulations 2010.
	The Public Service Pensions Bill, which is currently being debated in the House, contains provisions for each public service scheme to undertake a valuation in accordance with Treasury directions. An actuarial valuation of the TPS will be completed in advance of the introduction of the reformed scheme in 2015.

Truancy

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for how many and which (a) primary and (b) secondary schools were more than (i) 10, (ii) 20, (iii) 30 and (iv) 40 per cent of pupils classified as persistent absentees in each local authority area in the latest year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: In 2010/11, there were 677 state-funded primary schools with more than 10% of pupils classified as persistent absentees.
	22 of the 677 schools had more than 20% of pupils classified as persistent absentees;
	three schools had more than 30% of pupils classified as persistent absentees;
	two schools had more than 40% of pupils classified as persistent absentees.
	In 2010/11, there were 977 state-funded secondary schools with more than 10% of pupils classified as persistent absentees.
	35 of the 977 schools had more than 20% of pupils classified as persistent absentees;
	one school had more than 30% of pupils classified as persistent absentees;
	No schools had more than 40% of pupils classified as persistent absentees.
	Lists of these schools and their local authority area have been placed in the House Libraries.
	Persistent absence is best measured on the basis of a school year. The information provided relates to school year 2010/11, the latest school year of data available.
	The latest data on absence, for the school year, is published as Statistical First Release 04/2012 ‘Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Including Pupil Characteristics: 2010/11' at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001060/index.shtml
	This includes school level information.
	The most recent absence data, for the first two terms of 2011/12, is published as Statistical First Release 22/2012 'Pupil Absence in schools in England: Autumn Term 2011 and Spring Term 2012' at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001090/index.shtml
	This includes school level information. Persistent absence figures are included in the release but these two term figures can be affected by changes in term length. For this reason, end of year data provide the best measure of persistent absence.

Truancy

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and which schools had more than four per cent of half days missed due to unauthorised absence in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: In the 2010/11 school year, there were 322 schools with more than 4% of half days missed due to unauthorised absence.
	39 of the 322 schools were state-funded primary schools;
	126 were state-funded secondary schools;
	157 were special schools.
	A list of these schools and their local authority area have been placed in the House Libraries.
	The latest data on absence, for the school year, is published as Statistical First Release 04/2012 'Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Including Pupil Characteristics: 2010/11' at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001060/index.shtml
	This includes school level information.
	Information for the first two terms of 2011/12 is published as Statistical First Release 22/2012 'Pupil Absence in schools in England: Autumn Term 2011 and Spring Term 2012' at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001090/index.shtml
	This includes school level information but does not cover special schools.

Universal Credit

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit.

David Laws: We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop new eligibility criteria following the introduction of universal credit for those passported benefits, for which the Department for Education is responsible. Our aim is to ensure that education benefits continue to be available to the families who need them most.
	The development of eligibility criteria for passported education benefits in Scotland, including free school meals, is the responsibility of the Scottish Government.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of NHS patients spent fewer than four hours waiting in accident and emergency departments in English hospitals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: Statistics on accident and emergency (A&E) departments are published weekly, and can be found on the Department's website:
	http://transparency.dh.gov.uk/2012/06/14/weekly-ae-sitreps-2012-13/
	The weekly A&E collection collects the total number of attendances in the week for all A&E types, including minor injury units, urgent care centres and walk-in centres, and of these, the number discharged, admitted or transferred within four hours of arrival.
	Information about the number of patients who spent fewer than four hours in all types of A&E departments in England in the last quarter for which data is available (Q2 2012-13) is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 2012 Percentage of patients spending four hours or less in all types of A&E department. 
			 30 September 96.10 
			 23 September 96.90 
			 16 September 96.60 
			 9 September 96.90 
			 2 September 97.50 
			 26 August 97.00 
			 19 August 96.40 
			 12 August 97.20 
			 5 August 97.20 
			 29 July 97.10 
			 22 July 97.20 
			 15 July 97.10 
			 8 July 96.70

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2012, Official Report, columns 640-2W, on alcoholic drinks: children, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the reduction in the proportion of 11 to 15-year-olds who reported ever having had a drink from 65 per cent in 1990 to 46 per cent in 2011.

Anna Soubry: There has been a long-term trend of fewer 11 to 15-year-old pupils ever having drunk alcohol. We are not aware of published studies that examine this trend.
	The decline in pupils who have ever drunk alcohol reflects declines in those talking illegal drugs and in those smoking.
	Mean consumption by those pupils who do drink alcohol, shown in ‘Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2011’, has not declined to the same extent. Despite a fall from 2010 to 2011, mean consumption of alcohol was still higher in 2011 than in 1990.
	Research suggests that the influences on young people's decisions to drink alcohol and how much they might drink are complex and include parental supervision and drinking behaviour, the influence of friends, ease of access to alcohol, the availability of alternative social and other activities, and marketing.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rate of alcoholism was for (a) 11 to 18 and (b) 18 to 25-year-olds in each year from 1988 to 2011.

Anna Soubry: Figures on alcohol dependence are available from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, which was run in 2000 and 2007. This survey covered those aged 16 and over, so estimates for 11 to 15-year-olds are unavailable. Estimates are presented for 16 to 17-year-olds and 18 to 25-year-olds.
	The following tables estimates the prevalence (percentage) of alcohol dependence by age group and severity for adults living in private households in England, based on the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ).
	
		
			 2000 
			 Percentage 
			  16 to 17-year-olds 18 to 25-year-olds 
			 No dependence (0-3) 93.0 84.8 
			 Mild dependence (4-19) 6.3 14.9 
			 Moderate dependence (20-34) 0.7 0.4 
			 Severe dependence (35-60) 0.0 0.0 
			 Source: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 2000. 
		
	
	
		
			 200 7 
			 Percentage 
			  16 to 17-year-olds 18 to 25-year-olds 
			 No dependence (0-3) 91.9 87.4 
			 Mild dependence (4-19) 8.1 11.6 
			 Moderate dependence (20-34) 0.0 1.0 
			 Severe dependence (35-60) 0.0 0.0 
			 Source: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 2007. 
		
	
	Survey results above were weighted to ensure they are representative of the population.
	The SADQ-C, asked of all respondents with an audit score of 10 or more, consists of 20 items, covering a range of dependence symptoms, with the six months before the interview as the reference period. Answers to all questions are scored from zero to three, and summed to give a total score ranging from zero to 60. Established thresholds indicate different levels of alcohol dependence:
	No dependence (scores of three or less);
	Mild dependence (scores ranging from four to 19);
	Moderate dependence (scores ranging from 20 to 34); and
	Severe dependence (scores ranging from 35 to 60).

Arthritis

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of data collection for people with arthritis attending rheumatology department out-patient services.

Norman Lamb: The NHS Information Centre collects information on out-patient attendances through its Hospital Episode Statistics collection, available online at:
	www.hesonline.nhs.uk/Ease/servlet/ContentServer?siteID=1937&categoryID=890
	Information is available on the main specialty of the out-patient clinic attended. Information on the primary diagnosis is not mandatory, but is available in a sufficiently large proportion of cases to make it possible to estimate the number of people with arthritis attending rheumatology out-patient services.

Autism: Prisoners

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners have been diagnosed with autism in the UK prison system.

Norman Lamb: This information is not collected centrally. The national health service information centre collects data on the number of individuals with autism on a regular basis but this does not identify whether an individual is within the criminal justice system.

Behaviour Disorders: Children

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to improve the awareness of (a) the public, (b) those who work in education and (c) GPs of the significance of childhood conduct problems.

Norman Lamb: The Government's mental health strategy “No Health Without Mental Health: a cross-Government mental health outcomes strategy” for people of all ages takes a life course approach and emphasises the importance of providing early intervention at any age. The implementation framework for the Mental Health Strategy has been produced by five national mental health organisations in partnership with Government. It is for everyone with a role in improving mental health, not just health and care services. For children and young people, it suggests actions that schools and colleges can take, including: understanding the link between emotional wellbeing and good educational and wider outcomes; and ensuring staff know how mental health relates to their work and when to intervene early to tackle mental health problems. Half of those with a lifelong mental health problem first experience symptoms by age 14 and three quarters before their mid twenties.
	The Department is funding a consortium hosted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and including the Royal College of General Practitioners, to develop an interactive e-portal for children and young people's mental health. This will extend the skills and knowledge of all staff working with children: NHS clinicians, including general practitioners, and also non-health professionals such as teaching staff, social workers, police and probation staff on how best to identify and help children and young people when they are experiencing mental health issues including conduct disorders. The e-portal will be ready for use from 2014.

Bereavement Counselling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grief counselling services the NHS provides to family and friends of deceased persons.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not hold information centrally on the current provision of grief counselling services by the national health service.
	In 2005, the Department published ‘When a Patient Dies: Advice on Developing Bereavement Services in the NHS’, which set out the principal elements required to provide an appropriate bereavement service.
	This guidance was updated in 2011 by the Bereavement Services Association in collaboration with the National End of Life Care Programme, and with support from the Department. ‘When a Person Dies’ is available at:
	www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk/publications/when-a-person-dies
	The Quality Standard for end of life care for adults, published by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in 2011, contains 16 statements which set out the markers, of high quality care for people at the end of life and their families and carers. Statement 14 highlights the importance of communicating sensitively with those closely affected by a death, and offering immediate and ongoing bereavement support. The Quality Standard is available at:
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/QS13

Calcium

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to address the low level of calcium intake; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who suffer from low calcium in England and Wales.

Anna Soubry: Most people should be able to get all the calcium they need by eating a healthy balanced diet, which is promoted through the Change4Life campaign, the Healthy Start Scheme and the NHS Choices (England) and the Welsh Government (Wales).websites.
	The Department has assessed the calcium intake of the United Kingdom population using data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). 6% of adults aged 19 to 64 years have intakes below the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake (LRNI; the intake that is sufficient only for those individuals with a low requirement for calcium)—no change since 2000-01. 13% of 11 to 18-year-olds have intakes below the LRNI compared to 18% in 1997. 1% of younger children (aged one and a half to 10 years) and 3% of older adults have intakes below the LRNI.
	A low intake of calcium, by an individual during a dietary survey like the NDNS does not necessarily mean that person has a calcium deficiency, but habitual intakes below the LRNI put individuals at greater risk of becoming calcium deficient.

Cancer

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the budget of the National Commissioning Board for commissioning radiotherapy services will be for 2013-14;
	(2)  what the budget of the National Commissioning Board for commissioning chemotherapy services will be for 2013-14.

Anna Soubry: The NHS Commissioning Board’s overall budget—its revenue and capital resource limits—for 2013-14 is set out in the mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board, alongside the objectives for the board. The mandate was published on 13 November 2012.
	The NHS Commissioning Board determines budgets for the services it will directly commission, including radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Budgets for these services for 2013-14 have not yet been set.

Cancer: Drugs

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of how many additional people received treatment as a consequence of the introduction of the Cancer Drugs Fund.

Norman Lamb: The Cancer Drugs Fund was launched on 1 April 2011 to help national health service patients access the cancer drugs their clinicians believe will help them. We also made an additional £50 million available to strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2010-11 to support improved access to cancer drugs.
	SHAs have reported that between October 2010 and the end of September 2012, this funding has helped over 23,000 cancer patients in England to access the cancer drugs their clinicians recommended.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the proposals of the final report of the Commission on Funding Care and Support, if he will place in the Library case studies showing the effect on an individual's assets in terms of depletion if they incurred care costs under a (a) £50,000 cap on care costs with an extended upper capital limit of £100,000 and (b) £60,000 cap on care costs with an extended upper capital limit of £100,000; how the depletion of assets would vary according to (i) low income and low asset individuals, (ii) low income and modest asset individuals and (iii) mid income and substantial asset individuals.

Norman Lamb: The Progress Report on funding reform sets out how people's expenditure would vary according to their wealth and the level of the cap. It also set out an individual's responsibility for care costs. Particular figures of interest are figures four, five and fourteen.
	Figure four in the progress report highlights how much people spend on care with different levels of wealth and different cap levels. Figure five sets out what the cap would, and would not cover, and so what people are liable to purchase. Figure fourteen sets out the indicative proportion of assets that people spend under the current system and different levels of the cap, for people with different levels of starting wealth.
	The Department does not hold the additional information requested.

Chronic Illnesses

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to enable people with long-term medical conditions to access specialist rehabilitation.

Anna Soubry: From April 2013 the NHS Commissioning Board will directly commission specialist rehabilitation services for patients with highly complex needs that are beyond the scope of their local rehabilitation services. The board will decide the best way to commission these services to meet patients' needs.

Death Certificates

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote the Chief Medical Officer's guidance issued in 2007 that entries in death certificates should reflect doctors' best assessment of the causes of death and other contributory factors, including healthcare associated infections.

Anna Soubry: Doctors are required under the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 to complete the medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) ‘to the best of their knowledge and belief’. Internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to the death to be recorded on the death certificate, and whether a condition contributed is a matter for their clinical judgment.
	Books of MCCDs have short notes at the front on how to complete the MCCD and when to refer deaths to the coroner. Additional guidance for doctors has been produced and it is available to download from the General Register Office website at:
	www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/medcert/index.asp
	In terms of health care associated infections, the November edition of the Medical Director's Bulletin to clinicians will contain a reminder regarding the chief medical officer's letter of October 2007.

Dementia

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that any forthcoming proposals in respect of free end of life care are developed with consideration of people with dementia, and do not increase the costs of care borne by people with dementia.

Norman Lamb: End of life health care is provided free at the point of delivery, irrespective of the patient's diagnosis.
	In the “Caring for our future” White Paper we stated that
	“we think there is much merit in providing free health and social care in a fully integrated service at the end of life”.
	The White Paper went on to say:
	“We will use the eight palliative care funding pilot sites to collect the vital data and information we need to assess this proposal, and its costs, along with the Palliative Care Funding Review's other recommendations. A decision on including free social care at the end of life in the new funding system will be informed by the evaluation of the pilots, and an assessment of resource implications and overall affordability”.

Dementia

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish an estimate of the number of lives saved as a result of the 52 per cent reduction in the prescribing of antipsychotics reported in his Department's audit of antipsychotic prescribing in dementia; if he will estimate the number of further lives saved by reducing prescribing by two-thirds; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The National Dementia and Antipsychotic Prescribing Audit, published in July 2012, does not contain an estimate of the number of lives saved and it is not possible to provide an estimate from the data collected. The purpose of the audit was to measure the reduction in antipsychotic prescribing and this showed a 52% reduction in prescribing between 2008 and 2011.

Depressive Illnesses: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued for the treatment of depression in children in each of the last 10 years.

Norman Lamb: This information is not collected centrally.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to introduce for GPs diabetes testing targets for those patients who do not have the condition.

Anna Soubry: The National Health Service Health Check programme is aimed at everyone eligible in England between the ages of 40 and 74. It is a risk assessment and risk management programme, which assesses people's risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes and supports people to reduce or manage that risk through individually tailored support, and advice. In rolling out this programme, some primary care trusts targeted high-risk groups first, such as South Asian populations who are at particularly high risk of diabetes.
	The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the NHS in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy. The UK NSC has just commenced a review of screening for type 2 diabetes against its criteria and stakeholders will be given the opportunity to input into the review process once the completed review is posted on the UK NSC website for consultation.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's public health guidance “Preventing type 2 diabetes: population and community-level interventions in high-risk groups and the general population”, published in May 2011, makes recommendations for the provision of culturally appropriate messages about preventing type 2 diabetes. The guidance underlines the action that we are already taking to improve public health and reduce the risk of people developing type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he has any plans to increase the use of insulin pumps by type one diabetics to manage their condition;
	(2)  what guidelines have been issued to clinical commissioning groups on the provision of insulin pumps for type one diabetic patients.

Anna Soubry: There is no mention of insulin pumps explicitly in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) quality standard for diabetes, but there is clear NICE guidance available outlining the circumstances in which an individual with type 1 diabetes is eligible for an insulin pump. It should be noted that insulin pump therapy is not suited for everyone who is eligible, as it requires self-management and regular close monitoring. People who commence insulin pumps need to have a detailed structured education programme and good clinical support to maintain and support them on this therapy.
	NHS Diabetes has produced commissioning guidance for clinical commissioning groups regarding insulin pumps, to encourage the provision of insulin pumps to eligible patients.
	NHS Diabetes has also launched a Insulin Pump Network, which is aimed at reducing variation and improving access to insulin pumps. The network is not only aiming to increase uptake but aims to improve education and support for those on an insulin pump already.
	The NHS Technology Adoption Centre published a ‘How to Why to Guide’ in February 2011.
	The first ever United Kingdom wide audit of insulin pump use was recently sponsored by the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists, Diabetes UK and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation with support from NICE. This showed that there are at least 11,985 people over the age of 18-years-old and at least 4,447 people 17-years-old or younger using an insulin pump in England.
	Subsequent audits will allow the Department to monitor trends in insulin pump usage and to identify unwarranted variation in access to insulin pumps.
	The NHS Technology Centre and the NHS Information Centre are working together to ensure that in the future information collections that capture data related to insulin pumps will be improved. This will include the introduction of new codes in OPCS (operating procedure code supplement), improved diabetes datasets information and the possible introduction of HRG (healthcare resource groups) tariffs.

Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are currently in place for GPs on the provision of testing strips for type one diabetics.

Anna Soubry: Blood glucose testing strips are one means of helping diabetics manage their condition day to day. There are currently no specific guidelines in place for general practitioners on the provision of testing strips for type 1 diabetics, although National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued guidelines on the use of strips by patients with type 2 diabetes. Any decisions about changing testing regimens for people with type 1 diabetes should be taken after discussion between the patient and their health care professional.

Diabetes

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefits of artificial pancreases in the treatment of diabetes.

Anna Soubry: The artificial pancreas is based on two existing and already licensed technologies. An insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor. Research has shown that the artificial pancreas can reduce the night-time risk of hypoglycaemia in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, and a prototype system for home use is being developed and trialled currently.

General Medical Council

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect on Fitness to Practice decisions of the Cohen decision and the General Medical Council's lack of a right of appeal.

Norman Lamb: The Department is aware of the Cohen decision, where the decision of a fitness to practise panel was overturned on appeal by the practitioner to the High Court on the ground that it was found to have approached the test for impairment of fitness to practise incorrectly.
	The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence has a right of appeal against decisions of fitness to practise panels where it considers decisions are unduly lenient and it is desirable to do so to protect the public. Discussions are being held with the General Medical Council and the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence about a proposal to also introduce a similar appeal right for the General Medical Council alongside that. This is within the context of wider proposals by the General Medical Council to improve and modernise their fitness to practise adjudication processes, to enhance the independence of adjudication while continuing to protect patients and the public. Any changes will be subject to full public consultation.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Amber Rudd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the reasons are for the time taken to publish his Department's sexual health policy document;
	(2)  when he expects to publish his Department's new sexual health policy document.

Anna Soubry: The sexual health policy document will set out the framework for improving all aspects of sexual health in England. It will cover a number of important issues such as reducing unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, reducing sexually transmitted infections, and tackling HIV. We have invested time in developing this document, as we know the issues it will cover can have a substantial impact on peoples' lives. We plan to publish the document before the end of the year.

Health Services: Schools

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to encourage schools to participate in the (a) work of health and wellbeing boards and (b) development of joint health and wellbeing strategies.

Norman Lamb: Health and wellbeing boards will develop a comprehensive analysis of the current and future health and social care needs in each local area through joint strategic needs assessments (JSNAs), and translate these into action in joint health and wellbeing strategies (JHWSs). Throughout the process, health and wellbeing boards will be under a statutory duty to involve local people, including children and young people—taking account of their views in JSNAs and JHWSs to ensure that local services are shaped and influenced by the people that use them. It will be for each health and wellbeing board to decide how best to engage local schools and other education institutions in their work, in particular in the development of both JSNAs and JHWSs.
	The statutory membership of the director of children's services and that of local Healthwatch on health and wellbeing boards will also ensure the voice of the whole community including individuals sharing characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act 2010, which includes children and young people, are fed into the work of health and wellbeing boards.
	The Department is currently developing statutory guidance to support health and wellbeing boards in undertaking JSNAs and developing JHWSs. The guidance will emphasise the importance of understanding and addressing the needs of children and young people as part of the. local population.

Hotels

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the discounts on hotel charges for officials on Government business which his Department has negotiated.

Anna Soubry: The Department does not negotiate discounts with hotels for use by officials on Government business but uses the mandated central contract awarded by Government Procurement Services that contains rates available across wider Government.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Human Tissue Authority

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he expects to publish a response to his consultation on proposals to transfer functions from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority; and if he will place all replies to the consultation in the Library;
	(2)  what proportion of respondents to his recent consultation on proposals to transfer functions from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority supported the abolition of the Human Tissue Authority;
	(3)  what proportion of respondents to his recent consultation on proposals to transfer functions from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority supported the continuation of the Human Tissue Authority;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with the (a) Human Tissue Authority, (b) Care Quality Commission and (c) Health Research Authority on his recent consultation on proposals to transfer functions from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and the Human Tissue Authority.

Anna Soubry: The consultation on proposals to transfer the functions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Human Tissue Authority closed on 28 September 2012. The Department is now considering and analysing the responses, which will inform the way forward and the Government's response. We would expect to publish the response once cross-Government consideration is completed.
	We would expect to handle the consultation responses in line with Government best practice at the point of the consultation launch, which would be, as a minimum, to publish a summary of stakeholder views alongside the formal Government response.
	The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) has not held discussions with the Human Tissue Authority, Care Quality Commission or Health Research Authority about this consultation.

Kidneys: Diseases

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of (a) autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and (b) autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease have been diagnosed in East Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry: Information on the numbers of people with autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease is not collected centrally. However, we do collect the number of finished admission episodes (FAEs) with a primary diagnosis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease or polycystic kidney disease, unspecified, for East Lancashire Teaching primary care trust (PCT) of residence for the years 2007-08 to 2011-12.
	
		
			 PCT of residence PCT code Primary diagnosis 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 East Lancashire Teaching PCT 5NH Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease * * * 0 0 
			   Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease * * * * * 
		
	
	
		
			   Polycystic kidney disease, unspecified * * * 7 * 
			 Notes: 1. Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Primary Diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. ICD-10 Codes used: Q61.1 Polycystic kidney, autosomal recessive Q61.2 Polycystic kidney, autosomal dominant Q61.3 Polycystic kidney, unspecified 3. SHA/PCT of residence The strategic health authority (SHA) or primary care trust (PCT) containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. 4. Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. 5. Small numbers To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been replaced with "*" (an asterisk). 
		
	
	To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been replaced with "*" (an asterisk). The vast majority of counts presented in this table fall in this range and are therefore denoted as "*".
	These are figures for admissions to hospital for treatment of polycystic kidney disease and are not a count of people who have the disease but did not require admission to hospital. It should be noted that these are not a count of people as the same person may have been admitted more than once in a year.
	Reference should be made to the footnotes when interpreting this data.

Learning Disability: Social Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will include a full assessment of the adequacy of any funding levels in the final report of the Winterborne View review or any accompanying agreement; if he will make it his policy to ensure that (a) funding arrangements do not work against incentives to get people out of assessment and treatment units, (b) economies of scale do not incentivise the continued development of larger units and (c) adequate local services, including community-based intensive support services, are developed as near as possible to the families of children and adults with a learning disability and behaviour that challenges; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: The interim report on Winterbourne View hospital published in June 2012 set out the model of care we expect for people with learning disabilities or autism who have mental health conditions or behaviour which challenges. The focus must be on developing the range of responsive local services which can prevent admissions to in-patient units or other large institutional settings.
	The Department will support commissioners of health and social care services in developing shared accountability, pooled budgets and joint commissioning in order to deliver the integrated services needed in local communities.
	Decisions about social care spending are made locally but local commissioners should ensure that they commission for good quality person-centred community-based care. Appropriate care may cost less than the sort of care provided by Winterbourne View with the average cost of £3,500 per person per week. Good commissioning can offer better care for less money. Local services should not be run from Whitehall, and councils were clear in discussions at the spending review that the freedom to prioritise locally would allow them to deliver better services. Local authorities received a challenging settlement in the 2010 spending review, and the Government took action to protect social care by allocating an extra £7.2 billion over four years. Along with a continued focus on efficiency, this is sufficient to allow councils to maintain access to services—a view supported by analysis from the King's Fund.
	Some councils have chosen to reduce their expenditure on social care, despite the extra funding we provided. In some cases this is because of greater efficiency, but where this has led to a reduction in services the council will have to justify this decision to their electorate.
	The final report from the Department's review will be published shortly.

Lung Cancer

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of selenium supplementation on the incidence of lung cancer in women.

Anna Soubry: The Department has not made an assessment of the potential effect of selenium supplementation on the incidence of lung cancer in women. The Department advises that you should be able to get all the nutrients you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
	The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) is currently undertaking a review of the evidence on selenium and health, including lung cancer. SACN is due to publish its findings in a position statement in mid 2013.

Lung Diseases

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanism Ministers in his Department will hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for making progress on the Outcomes Strategy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.

Anna Soubry: The Government's Mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board asks the NHS Commissioning Board to make progress against all the outcomes in the NHS Outcomes Framework, which includes an indicator on reducing mortality from respiratory disease in under 75s. This will be a key marker of progress in improving respiratory outcomes.
	It is for the NHS Commissioning Board and local commissioners to determine how best they can improve outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma for their local populations. The Outcomes Strategy and associated tools and resources, including the NHS Companion Document, have been published to support local areas in making those decisions.

Meningitis

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support his Department provides for research to develop a vaccine for group B meningococcal meningitis.

Anna Soubry: The National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network is currently hosting a study to test a new vaccine against meningococcus group B on healthy volunteers. The name of the vaccine is MenPF-1 and it uses two bacterial proteins called PorA and FetA that are known to stimulate the immune system.

Meningitis

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average lifetime cost to the taxpayer of residual physical and cognitive issues caused by group B meningococcal meningitis.

Anna Soubry: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is undertaking an assessment of the impact and cost effectiveness of potential meningococcal B vaccination strategies. As part of this assessment, JCVI is considering evidence on the epidemiology and carriage of different meningococcal serogroup B strains, the costs of treating meningococcal serogroup B disease and the costs of treating the long-term conditions that result from this disease, the quality of life of affected individuals as well as the potential clinical effectiveness of vaccination.
	This assessment (expected to be completed in 2013) of the economic impact of a possible immunisation programme is following the criteria and methodology of National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence for the assessment of cost effectiveness. It therefore, will include assessment of public expenditure on health and social care associated with meningococcal disease.

Mental Health Services

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the Centre for Mental Health report entitled A Chance to Change, published in October 2012; and what assessment he has made of its recommendation on improving the availability of evidence-based parenting interventions.

Norman Lamb: A good start in life and positive parenting are fundamental to good mental health and well-being, and to lifelong resilience to adversity. Half of those with lifelong mental illness first experience symptoms by the age of 14. For this reason we have invested around £54 million over the four years from 2011-12 until 2014-15 in the Children and Young People's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies project, which aims to embed National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence approved best evidence-based therapies across child and adolescent mental health services. These include evidence-based parenting programmes for three to 10-year-olds with conduct disorders.
	The Government is also committed to increasing the number of families who can benefit from Family Nurse Partnerships (FNP) (a targeted, evidence-based intensive home visiting programme that supports first time young mothers from early pregnancy until their child is two years old) at any one time to 13,000 by 2015. Good progress towards this is being made with 10,000 places in 86 different local authority areas at October 2012. FNP is based on a robust body of evidence from the United States that shows that FNP improves a wide range of outcomes for vulnerable young mothers and their children including reduced behavioural and emotional problems.

Musculoskeletal Disorders

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to ensure that musculoskeletal health is included in the responsibilities of Public Health England and the public health observatories.

Anna Soubry: Public Health England will advise on evidence-based public health interventions to promote the public's health, including, where appropriate, the prevention of musculoskeletal conditions. It will also publish data on indicators in the Public Health Outcomes Framework (i.e. ‘Improving outcomes and supporting transparency. Part 1: A public health outcomes framework for England, 2013-2016’). The framework has two indicators, on excess weight in adults and the proportion of physically active and inactive adults, which are particularly relevant to musculoskeletal health. A copy of the Outcomes Framework has already been placed in the Library.

NHS

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the NHS Commissioning Board plans to announce its list of national clinical leads.

Anna Soubry: This is a matter for the NHS Commissioning Board. We understand its plans relating to national clinical leadership will be announced shortly.

NHS Commissioning Board

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will sit on the National Commissioning Board's 27 local area teams; and what skills relating to health members of those teams will be required to have.

Anna Soubry: These will be matters for the NHS Commissioning Board to determine. We understand that working as part of a single organisation, each local area team will have a director supported by qualified, appropriately skilled medical, nursing, finance, operations and delivery, and commissioning directors.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of instances in which confidentiality clauses have been included in NHS staff severance agreements.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department, but would be held locally by individual organisations.
	The Department approves business cases for extra contractual payments proposed under a compromise agreement but does not usually have sight of the agreements and therefore does not routinely monitor the use of confidentiality clauses.

NHS: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with hospital trusts and health organisations on the use of junior drugs.

Daniel Poulter: In 2007 a new European regulation was introduced concerning the development of medicines for children. All new medicinal products and some existing drugs being explored for additional uses are now investigated in paediatric patients unless there is a clear reason not to do so, such as the disease not occurring in children or where there are safety concerns.
	The issue of the safety of medicines for children was raised in the Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Forum report published in July. The forum made a number of recommendations on this issue and discussions have been taking place between departmental officials and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society on how these can be taken forward. The Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Strategy is to be published by Christmas.

Organs: Donors

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the effect that the introduction of presumed consent into the organ donation system in Wales will have on the organ transplantation system in England.

Anna Soubry: We continue to work closely with the Welsh Government on the potential policy, financial, operational and legal implications of their proposed introduction of an opt-out system of consent for organ donation in Wales. Across the United Kingdom we have made considerable progress over the last four years with a welcome significant improvement in organ donor rates. We wish to be certain that the introduction of opt-out legislation in Wales will not have an adverse impact on this progress overall.

Organs: Donors

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on the number of human organs likely to become available for transplant in England if presumed consent were to be introduced in England;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect on the number of human organs likely to become available for transplant in England if presumed consent were to be introduced in Wales;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with (a) black and minority ethnic, (b) Muslim and (c) Jewish communities in England on the introduction of presumed consent into the organ donation system.

Anna Soubry: In 2008, the Organ Donation Taskforce considered the issue of presumed consent in considerable detail looking at the clinical, communication, cultural, ethical legal and practical aspects of opt-out legislation. Their second report, “The potential impact of an opt-out system for organ donation” published in November 2008, did not recommend introducing an opt-out system at that time finding that while such a system would have the potential to deliver benefits, they were not confident its introduction would increase organ donor numbers, and felt there was some evidence that donor numbers may go down. For example the majority of faith and belief groups interviewed were positive about donation but most were opposed to the introduction of opt-out legislation.
	Instead, the Taskforce believed that a significant increase in donor rates could be achieved by acting on the recommendations in their first report, “Organs for Transplants”, published in January 2008, without the need for legislation, and the costs and risks associated with introducing a new consent system. Implementation of the Taskforce recommendations has seen United Kingdom donor numbers rise by 40% over the baseline year of 2007-08.
	The Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the recent draft Welsh Government Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill is not definite about the level of increase that is likely to occur with the introduction opt-out legislation in Wales but every additional donor could donate on average three organs to the UK pool for transplantation.

Palliative Care

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many formal complaints have been made to his Department claiming that patients were placed on the Liverpool Care Pathway without discussion with the next of kin beforehand.

Norman Lamb: We have received no formal complaints about the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP). However, we have received a number of letters from Members of this House and members of the public raising concerns about aspects of the LCP and about reports in the media.
	In response to the recent media speculation about the LCP, a number of organisations, led by the National End of Life Care Programme, Dying Matters and the Association for Palliative Medicine, are working with patients, carers and health professionals to look for evidence to support or refute the accusations made in the press. If this work suggests any cause for concern we will respond on the basis of that evidence.
	I will be meeting these organisations as well as other organisations representing professionals and patient groups, as well as some patient representatives, for a roundtable discussion to hear a range of views on the issues to be addressed. We are taking a close interest in this work and the outcomes of the projects under way.

Palliative Care

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of hospital deaths in (a) England and (b) Wales were on the Liverpool Care Pathway;
	(2)  how many patients in (a) England and (b) Wales have been taken off the Liverpool Care Pathway after reassessment by clinicians in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many patients in (a) England and (b) Wales have been placed on the Liverpool Care Pathway in each of the last 10 years.

Norman Lamb: The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) was developed by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in Liverpool as an approach to support the delivery of good care in the last hours or days of life.
	The Department does not collect information centrally on the number of hospitals, or the number of wards in those hospitals, hospices or care homes which use the LCP, or the number of patients whose care is guided by the LCP.
	The LCP is subject to regular audit. The results of the third audit, undertaken by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute with the Royal College of Physicians, was published in November 2011.
	Information on the LCP, including the third audit and how the pathway should be used, is available from the LCP website:
	www.mcpcil.org.uk/mcpcil/liverpool-care-pathway/index.htm

Palliative Care

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training (a) nurses and (b) doctors receive in palliative care.

Norman Lamb: The General Medical Council (GMC) set out its recommendations on undergraduate medical education in ‘Tomorrow's Doctors’ (2009). This provides the framework that medical schools use to design detailed curricula and schemes of assessment, and sets out the standards that the GMC use to judge the quality of undergraduate teaching and assessments at individual medical schools. Describing the doctor as a practitioner, ‘Tomorrow's Doctors’ states that in diagnosing and managing clinical presentations, the doctor will need to contribute to the care of patients and their families at the end of life, including management of symptoms and effective communication and team working. ‘Tomorrow's Doctors’ is available at:
	www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/tomorrows_ doctors.asp
	Following qualification, doctors can choose to undertake specialist postgraduate training in palliative medicine.
	The Nursing and Midwifery Council is liable for quality assuring the provision of nurse education and ensuring that education providers produce educational programmes that meet the minimum standards set. These standards are included in ‘Standards for pre-registration nursing education’ (2010). They set out broad standards of proficiency, which enable local and national needs to be reflected in local curricula, and include specific reference to supporting and addressing the needs of people approaching the end of life.
	The standards are available at:
	http://standards.nmc-uk.org/Pages/Welcome.aspx
	Nurses are also able to choose to undertake specialist postgraduate training in palliative care, which would range from degree programmes to training provided by hospices.
	As well as recognising the important role of palliative care specialists, the ‘End of Life Care Strategy’ (2008) highlighted the importance of increasing the skills of generalist doctors and nurses, and other health and social care staff, in the delivery of end of life care.
	A number of initiatives have been pursued to develop this element of work force, including:
	the development of core competences and principles for end of life training care;
	developing an extensive e-learning package on end of life care;
	free to access for health and social care staff; and
	producing ‘Talking about end of life care: right conversations, right people, right time’, based on the findings of a number of communication skills projects.

Palliative Care

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on how many people have been placed on the Liverpool Care Pathway since its inception.

Norman Lamb: The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) was developed by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in Liverpool as an approach to support the delivery of good care in the last hours or days of life.
	The Department does not collect information centrally about the LCP, including the number of patients whose care is guided by the LCP.
	Information on the LCP, including the third audit and how the pathway should be used, is available from the LCP website:
	www.mcpcil.org.uk/liverpool-care-pathway/index.htm

Palliative Care

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the relatives of a patient who is in and out of consciousness are consulted and supported to help make decisions such as whether to resuscitate.

Anna Soubry: It is for health care providers to have appropriate resuscitation policies in place which respect patients' rights, and are understood by all relevant staff, and accessible to those who need them.
	The Department has commended the Joint Statement from the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing, ‘Decisions relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation’ (2007), to national health service trusts as the basis for a resuscitation policy. The Joint Statement provides guidance to assist health care staff in making decisions about resuscitation and on the involvement of the patient and their family in the decision-making process.

Prescription Drugs: Misuse

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the programme manager is for the National Treatment Agency's research into addiction to prescribed medication.

Anna Soubry: The Department's policy is that the names of officials should be withheld from disclosure unless they are members of the senior civil service or have a high profile that would justify release. We are accordingly withholding the information requested. The annual accounts of the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse for 2011-12 list the organisation's executive directors and are available at:
	www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/ntaannualaccounts2011-12.pdf

Prostate Cancer

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding the Government specifically sets aside for prostate cancer.

Anna Soubry: The vast majority of funding for prostate cancer is allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) as part of their annual allocation. It is not ring-fenced as it is for individual PCTs to assess their populations' health needs and to allocate their resources to meet those needs.
	The only funding specifically set aside for prostate cancer is for the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP). Since 2002, the PCRMP has been in place to ensure that men over 50 without symptoms of prostate cancer can have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test free on the national health service after careful consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of PSA testing and after a discussion with a general practitioner.
	NHS Cancer Screening Programmes (NHS CSP) is responsible for the management of the PCRMP and funding provided to NHS CSP for the PCRMP in 2012-13 was £232,000. It is for NHS CSP to determine the final amount needed to deliver the PCRMP.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the additional NHS funding required to fulfil the Prime Minister’s pledge that all cancer patients in need of innovative radiotherapy will have access to it from April 2013.

Anna Soubry: We established a £15 million Radiotherapy Innovation Fund from October 2012 to enable providers to prepare to deliver from April 2013 certain advanced radiotherapy to all patients who might benefit.
	Our current best estimate is that it will cost up to £10 million a year from April 2013 onwards to meet the Prime Minister’s pledge that patients will be guaranteed access to innovative radiotherapy. Actual costs will depend on decisions by the NHS Commissioning Board on how best to approach implementation.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to section 3.27 of his Department's report on Radiotherapy Service in England 2012, for what reason three of the four new cancer centres planned are situated in the South East of England; and for what reason none are being built in the South West of England;
	(2)  with reference to table 3 of his Department's report on Radiotherapy Service in England 2012, whether a lack of modern radiotherapy equipment prevents all the cancer centres in the South West region of England from delivering intensity modulated radiation therapy at no more than two per cent of all radical episodes;
	(3)  with reference to section 2.6 of his Department's report on Radiotherapy Service in England 2012, if he will conduct an economic study to measure the financial effectiveness and benefit to cancer patients of the money the NHS spends on cancer drugs against that spent on radiotherapy;
	(4)  with reference to section 3.36 of his Department's report on Radiotherapy Service in England 2012, when work will begin to establish the effectiveness of treating solitary metastases, early lung and prostate cancer with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy.

Anna Soubry: We are advised by NHS South that radiotherapy capacity in the South West is currently able to meet the needs of patients requiring radiotherapy treatment within the appropriate timeframes. Local planning has anticipated that the current levels of provision will be suitable up to at least 2016. As such, there are no plans to build additional radiotherapy centres at this time. Page 26 of the report Radiotherapy Services in England 2012 also shows that a new radiotherapy centre was built in Taunton in 2009.
	Almost all radiotherapy machines in the national health service in England are capable of delivering Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT). There are likely to be a range of reasons why IMRT activity remains low in some centres. Recognising that there may be one-off set-up costs such as additional software licences and staff training required to establish services, a £15 million radiotherapy innovation fund has been established for 2012-13. This fund will enable centres to ensure that they are ready to deliver IMRT at the right levels from April 2013. There will be a fixed sum allocated to all centres and bids have been sought for the remainder of the fund. Intensive support is also being provided to help centres develop and implement local action plans.
	Work to establish the effectiveness of treating solitary metastases, early lung and prostate cancer with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy needs to be undertaken in clinical trials. Radiotherapy related research is complex and requires centres of excellence with critical mass to lead the process as well as a network of active centres to recruit to clinical trials. The National Cancer Research Institute Clinical and Translational Radiotherapy Research Working Group coordinates radiotherapy research initiatives and is likely to have a key role in coordinating research in this area.
	The Department currently has no plans to conduct an economic study to measure the financial effectiveness and benefit to cancer patients of the money the NHS spends on cancer drugs against that spent on radiotherapy.
	Cancer treatment falls into three main categories: chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Each has a different role and they can be used in combination to treat an individual patient. While chemotherapy is directly responsible for the cure of fewer patients, it has a greater role to play in the palliation of symptoms.
	A common framework is used across different health treatment setting to permit relative merits of new drugs and technological advances to be evaluated and judged if they offer good value for money.

Radiotherapy: Wells

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the nearest cancer centre is at which cancer patients in Wells constituency can receive stereotactic ablative radiotherapy treatment for tumours of the (a) prostate, (b) lung, (c) liver and (d) brain.

Anna Soubry: We are advised that the nearest cancer centre for patients from Wells to receive stereotactic ablative radiotherapy treatment for tumours is the Royal Marsden hospital in Sutton, Surrey.

Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths of people aged (a) under five, (b) between five and 14, (c) between 15 and 44, (d) between 45 and 59, (e) between 60 and 69 and (f) over 70 which occurred in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008 were (A) registered by the end of 2011, (B) registered by the end of 2011, with a delay between death date and death registration date exceeding 90 days, (C) registered by the end of 2011, with a delay between death date and death registration date exceeding 182 days and (D) registered by the end of 2011, with a delay between death date and death registration date exceeding 365 days.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking' how many deaths of people aged (a) under five, (b) between five and 14, (c) between 15 and 44, (d) between 45 and 59, (e) between 60 and 69 and (f) over 70 which occurred in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008 were (A) registered by the end of 2011, (B) registered by the end of 2011, with a delay between death date and death registration date exceeding 90 days, (C) registered by the end of 2011, with a delay between death date and death registration date exceeding 182 days and (D) registered by the end of 2011, with a delay between death date and death registration date exceeding 365 days.
	The following table provides the number of deaths in England and Wales that occurred between 2005 and 2008 and were registered by the end of 2011. Registration delays exceeding 90 days, 182 days and 365 days are presented by age group.
	Annual figures on the number of deaths registered by sex, age group and cause in England and Wales are available from the Office for National Statistics at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html? definition=tcm%3A77-27475
	Further details on the impact of registration delays on mortality statistics are available at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/health-and-life-events/impact-of-registration-delays-on-mortality-statistics--2011.html
	
		
			 Number of death registrations by age group and duration of registration delay in England and Wales, 2005 to 2008 (1,2) 
			 Deaths 
			  Age group (years) Exceeding 90 days Exceeding 182 days Exceeding 365 days All registrations 
			 2005 0-4 649 364 115 3,877 
			  5-14 229 143 49 757 
			  15-44 6,674 3,504 919 17,842 
			  45-59 3,623 1,585 396 40,278 
			  60-69 2,276 1,010 230 61,379 
			  70+ 5,980 2,531 539 390,945 
			 2006 0-4 642 346 110 3,938 
			  5-14 214 125 39 752 
			  15-44 6,850 3,787 970 17,734 
			  45-59 3,816 1,799 459 40,100 
			  60-69 2,430 1,107 263 60,484 
			  70+ 6,220 2,797 611 381,288 
			 2007 0-4 701 391 145 3,963 
			  5-14 215 138 45 715 
			  15-44 7,262 4,315 1,249 17,738 
			  45-59 4,205 2,156 554 38,990 
			  60-69 2,798 1,370 366 61,178 
			  70+ 7,123 3,587 942 383,272 
			 2008 0-4 723 395 127 3,924 
			  5-14 209 121 43 641 
			  15-44 7,020 3,925 1,139 17,407 
			  45-59 4,166 2,048 530 38,125 
			  60-69 2,849 1,342 346 61,399 
		
	
	
		
			  70+ 7,423 3,552 980 387,395 
			 (1) Figures are for deaths occurring in each year and registered by 31 December 2011. (2) Figures include deaths of non-residents. Source: Office for National Statistics

Streptococcus

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what effect he expects the 2012 update to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Prevention of early onset neonatal group B streptoccal disease guidelines to have on rates of group B streptococcus infections in newborn babies;
	(2)  how many responses have been received by the UK National Screening Committee consultation on introducing routine screening for group B streptococcus in pregnant women;
	(3)  how many meetings he has had with (a) officials and (b) stakeholders to discuss the UK National Screening Committee’s review of group B streptococcus screening for pregnant women.

Daniel Poulter: The national guidelines for prevention of early onset neonatal group B streptococcus disease are developed to set the standards for high quality health care. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists published on 18 July 2012 the revised Green-Top guideline, originally published in November 2003, to take into account new evidence on the prevention of early-onset neonatal group B streptococcus (GBS) disease. In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a new guideline on antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of early-onset neonatal infection, including GBS on 22 August 2012.
	The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the national health service in all four United Kingdom countries about all aspects of screening policy, including screening policy for GBS carriage in pregnancy. In 2008-09, the UK NSC recommended that a national screening programme to test for GBS carriage in pregnancy using the enriched culture medium test should not be offered. The UK NSC is currently reviewing the evidence for screening for GBS carriage in pregnancy against its criteria again.
	The UK NSC held a public consultation on its screening review from 16 July 2012 to 23 October 2012. In total, 212 written responses were received. The UK NSC will consider all of the submissions made during the consultation at its 13 November 2012 meeting. All consultation replies will be available on the UK NSC’s website following the meeting apart from those where stakeholder organisations or individuals have requested that their response is not made public. The Department expects to receive a recommendation from the UK NSC shortly.
	A meeting between the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Guildford (Anne Milton), and officials took place on 10 January 2012 to discuss screening for GBS carriage in pregnancy. The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health also hosted a meeting to discuss the UK NSC’s antenatal screening for GBS carriage review on 24 January 2012. Attendees included the UK NSC, the charity Group B Strep Support and Members of Parliament.

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the closure of specialist tranquilliser withdrawal clinics;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce the over-prescribing of tranquillisers by doctors.

Anna Soubry: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 15 October 2012, Official Report, columns 175-6W.

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2012, Official Report, columns 175-6W, on tranquillisers, whether his Department retains oversight of policy on addiction to medicines; whether stand-alone tranquilliser addiction will be treated by the National Treatment Agency or whether treatment will only be provided when such addictions occur in association with misuse of drugs; and where the information not collected centrally is held and how it can be obtained.

Anna Soubry: The Department retains oversight of policy on addiction to medicines. For information about the providers of locally-commissioned services, the hon. Member should approach the relevant local commissioner.
	Primary care trusts, not the National Treatment Agency, are currently responsible for commissioning specialist services for the treatment of dependency. This responsibility will transfer to local authorities from April 2013. An individual patient who is worried that they are addicted to a prescription medicine should raise the issue with the prescribing doctor, so that they can have a discussion about the help that they might need.
	The Government's Drug Strategy published in December 2010 made clear that we are determined to tackle dependence on any substance including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, alcohol and illicit drugs.

Tranquillisers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 1008W, on tranquillisers, what steps he has taken to ensure that the National Treatment Agency programme of work on prescribed medication will produce high-quality and effective services for tranquilliser withdrawal.

Anna Soubry: The work of the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse is overseen by its Board of Directors, and as an arm's length body, it is accountable to the Department for progress against its Action Plan for 2012-13.

Transplant Surgery

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people received an organ transplant in 2011;
	(2)  what recent steps he has taken to encourage people to become organ donors;
	(3)  how many people in the London borough of Havering received an organ transplant in 2011;

Anna Soubry: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) advise that, in 2011, 3,890 people received an organ transplant in the United Kingdom and 14 people received a transplant in the London borough of Havering.
	Since the publication in 2008 of the Organ Donation Taskforce (ODTF) plan for a 50% improvement in donation rates by 2013, a great deal of work has taken place to strengthen the donation programme and increase the number of organs available for patients. Since then organ donor rates have increased by around 40% and continue to rise.
	We have a number of initiatives to encourage people to add their name to the organ donation register (ODR). Much of this work is led by NHSBT in conjunction with a number of partners in the private, public and third sectors. For example, people may sign up to the ODR when they register with a new general practitioner, when applying for a new passport, when applying for a European Health Insurance Card and when applying for a Boots advantage card. We have established a prompted choice scheme, working in partnership with the Department of Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, which requires people applying for a driving licence online to answer a question about organ donation.
	Also, there are how over 200 highly trained specialist nurses for organ donation based in hospitals across the country. Clinical leads for organ donation have been appointed in every acute hospital working closely with hospital organ donation committees to increase donation rates.
	NHSBT are now in the process of developing their post 2013 strategy—building on the ODTF recommendations and identifying new ways to make sure that as many people as possible in the UK receive the transplant they need.
	We have also set up the National Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Transplant Alliance to increase the number of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people on bone marrow and whole organ registers, and to increase donation rates in those communities.

Universal Credit

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the qualifying conditions for each passported benefit for which he is responsible will change under universal credit.

Norman Lamb: The administration of passported benefits is the responsibility of a number of Government Departments and the devolved Administrations. We are currently working across government to ensure that we introduce universal credit in a way that works smoothly with all passported benefits while ensuring that these benefits continue to be available to the families that need them most.
	We will announce our eligibility criteria in due course.

Vitamin D

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to address vitamin D deficiency amongst young girls;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with hospital trusts to ensure that pregnant women receive the correct dosage of vitamin D.

Anna Soubry: The Department has not had any formal discussions with hospital trusts regarding the dose of vitamin D pregnant women should receive.
	The UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) wrote to health professionals on 2 February 2012 to raise awareness of the importance of vitamin D and to reiterate the current advice from UK Health Departments that those groups of people who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, including pregnant women and young children, should take a daily vitamin D supplement to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
	The CMOs' letter specifically stated that all pregnant and breastfeeding women should take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D. The NHS London Medicines Information Service has compiled a list of vitamin D supplements that will provide the amounts of vitamin D recommended by the Department for different age groups. This list is available on the National Electronic Library for Medicines website and was also sent to pharmacy organisations in March 2012.
	As part of the Government's Healthy Start scheme, vouchers that can be exchanged for free vitamin supplements containing the recommended amounts of vitamin D are provided to pregnant women and families with children under four years of age in very low income and disadvantaged families. All pregnant women under 18 years old also qualify for the scheme, even if they do not receive any of the benefits or tax credits listed in the eligibility criteria.
	UK Health Departments advise that most people, including young girls over the age of five years, should be able to get all the vitamin D they need via exposure to summer sunlight and eating a healthy balanced diet.

Window Blinds: Accidents

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that parents are aware of the potential hazards of window blind cords to young children.

Daniel Poulter: NHS Choices website has information and advice on child injury prevention including a video on risks to young children within the home. This includes reference to the potential hazards of blind cords. The Government also funds the Royal Society for Accident Prevention for projects around the home to prevent tragic deaths, including childhood deaths from strangulation by blind cords.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Trident

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the current indicative year-on-year profile of spending on the development phase of the replacement for Trident.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 6 November 2012
	I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
	The Initial Gate decision for the Successor Submarine Programme was announced to Parliament on 18 May 2011 at an estimated cost of some £3 billion. The latest forecast year-on-year profile of spending on the programme, out to the Main Gate investment decision in 2016, forecast by the Ministry of Defence as at 31 March 2012, is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Costs (£ million) 
			 2012-13 431 
			 2013-14 486 
			 2014-15 595 
			 2015-16 695 
			 2016-17 608

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2012, Official Report, column 724W, on Bangladesh, how much was spent training each government official.

Alan Duncan: All projects selected for the Civil Society Challenge Fund were required to show that the budget required for the proposed work was realistic, economic and efficient. The project referred to in the answer of 22 October 2012 was closed in 2010. DFID does not have information about the exact level of resources spent on training for each government official.

Bangladesh

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2012, Official Report, column 724W, on Bangladesh, how the project assisted people to understand their rights and entitlements.

Alan Duncan: The project assisted people to understand their rights and entitlements through various activities including: production and dissemination of information materials and leaflets on the right to information; implementation of a training course for elected representatives and for civil society organisations; follow-up support to 50 members of Parliament plus local government officials; and organised 160 workshops with the public on their right to information. In addition, training and debates were conducted with schools, colleges and journalists in 64 districts. A national level convention on International Information was organised. The project also developed and disseminated a booklet on community radio to create broader access to information for poor communities.

Developing Countries: Urban Areas

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her key urban development priorities are.

Justine Greening: In addressing the many opportunities and challenges presented by rapid urbanisation, the priorities that we have identified and for which we have programmes include: the need to provide the poor with proper services and housing; ensuring cities are resilient to the impacts of climate change; and improving city management and governance.

EU Aid

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether she will support the European Development Fund's proposed level of £30 billion in the EU budget negotiations.

Justine Greening: The UK's top priority in the negotiations for the European Union (EU) budget and European Development Fund (EDF) in the period 2014 to 2020 is that the level of EU expenditure must be carefully contained. We oppose increases beyond real growth in any area of EU expenditure, including the EDF. However, we believe that it is also important to maintain or increase the proportion of Official Development Assistance within a restrained overall budget.

India

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what plans she has for the redistribution of UK aid to India;
	(2)  what her timescale is for the reduction of UK aid to India.

Justine Greening: I refer the right hon. Member to my written ministerial statement of 9 November 2012, Official Report, column 51WS. As a result of our decision to make no new financial aid grants to India, plans for reallocating these sums to other Department for International Development programmes have not yet been finalised.
	Financial aid grants will start to fall from the current financial year, and will be completed by the end of 2015.

India

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects currently funded by her Department in India will cease by 2015.

Justine Greening: The following ongoing projects are expected to close by 2015:
	DFID India projects closing by 2015
	State level projects
	Bihar Governance and Administrative Reform Programme
	Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor
	Madhya Pradesh Health Sector Support
	Madhya Pradesh Power Sector Reform—Phase 2
	Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Project—Phase 2
	Madhya Pradesh Urban Services for the Poor
	Orissa Health Sector Support
	National projects
	Reproductive and Child Health Programme Phase II
	Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan II (Universal elementary education)
	Mahila Samakhya (Gender equality and women's empowerment)
	Support to National Policies for Urban Poverty Reduction
	Civil society and multilaterals
	UNICEF Strategic Partnership in India
	DFID—Asian Development Bank Partnership for India
	Other
	Impact Evaluation Fund

India

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding her Department will spend in India after 2015.

Justine Greening: DFID will conclude all its financial aid grants to India by 2015 as planned. After 2015, DFID's bilateral programme in India will include only technical assistance programmes and investments in private sector projects which give opportunities to poor people while generating a financial return. Budgets for this work have not yet been finalised.

India

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what analysis her Department undertook to inform the decision to withdraw UK financial aid to India; and if she will make a statement.

Justine Greening: My officials in Delhi regularly monitor India's economic performance and development progress. More information on the decision can be found in the written ministerial statement of 9 November 2012, Official Report, column 51WS.

India

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the withdrawal of UK financial aid to India on poverty levels in India.

Justine Greening: India is expected to achieve the millennium development goal of halving the proportion of people living under $1.25 per day by 2015.

St Helena

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to her planned funding of an airport at St Helena, what the estimated (a) total cost and (b) cost is of the airport in each of the next five years, including preparatory and associated spend.

Alan Duncan: I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement of 3 November 2011, Official Report,
	column 50WS, which provided details of the Design Build and Operate contract for the St Helena airport. Estimated payments under this contract over the next five years are:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2012-13 75.6 
			 2013-14 54.2 
			 2014-15 30.5 
			 2015-16 2.7 
			 2016-17 3.2 
		
	
	The contract amount comprises most of the total estimated cost. We have also allowed for other related expenditure, but it would be inappropriate to release further financial estimates as this could influence future procurement and negotiations.

St Helena

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to her planned funding of an airport at St Helena, and her key goal of boosting the local economy, what assessment her Department has made of the likely level of demand to visit the island.

Alan Duncan: A great deal of analysis has been done in this area. The 2005 feasibility study into the provision of access to St Helena included an assessment of potential tourism demand. This was based on original research, a survey of tourism operators, and studies of tourism growth in other island communities that have experienced significant improvements in air access. The figures were independently reviewed and revised in 2008 and again in 2010. The conclusion of this work is that tourist numbers are likely to increase from around 1,000 a year under the current sea access arrangements to around 29,000 a year within 25 years of the opening of the airport. Investment in an airport is justified even without such an increase in tourism.

St Helena

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to her planned funding of an airport at St Helena, what assessment her Department has made of the sufficiency of the cargo capacity of any likely aircraft service to replace that currently provided by ship.

Alan Duncan: While there will be an opportunity for limited air cargo on flights to St Helena, it is not expected that this will replace the current cargo capacity of the RMS St Helena. UK Government subsidy to the RMS St Helena will cease on commencement of air services, and we will assist the St Helena Government in establishing alternative sea cargo services through commercial shipping.